The Rev. David More Maynard

The Rev. David More Maynard died on November 22, 2023, at the age of 77 (1945-2023).

David is survived by his wife, Jane; four brothers; four children; and five grandchildren. A memorial service was held on Friday, December 8, 2023, at the First Unitarian Church of Portland, 1211 SW Main St., Portland OR.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Compassion & Choices or SOLVE Oregon. Notes of condolences may be written here.

A more complete obituary will be forthcoming after biographical research has been completed. It will be published in an upcoming issue of Elderberries and posted on the UURMaPA website.If any readers would wish to contribute information or reminiscences, we would welcome them. Please send them to UURMaPA’s clergy obituary editor, Jay Atkinson – jayatk40@gmail.com.

The Rev. Ronald D. Marcy

The Rev. Ronald “Ron” D. Marcy died on January 4, 2024, at the age of 87 (1936-2024).

Ron is survived by his wife Judith (Klein) Marcy; his two children: Glenn Lawrence Blumberg, and Suzanne Lynn Marcy; sister Joan Allen; as well as his two nephews: Mark, and David Allen. He was preceded in death by his only grandchild, Emily Rose Blumberg.

Ron’s ashes will be laid to rest by his family this Spring in his beloved Palmer, Massachusetts.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of South County, 27 North Road, Peace Dale, RI 02879, for a Memorial Leaf in his honor for its Tree of Life; or The WARM Center, 56 Spruce Street, Westerly, RI 02891; or The Domestic Violence Resource Center of South County, 61 Main Street, Wakefield, RI 02879.

Karen S. Muir

Karen Kristine Sandstrom Muir died August 17, 2023, at the age of 74 (1949-2023), in Ludington MI on a visit to family in Ludington MI with her husband, the Rev. Frederick Muir, minister emeritus of the UU Church of Annapolis.

She was born Jan. 31, 1949, the daughter of Maj. Donald Gustave Sandstrom, a career Army officer, and Kaethe Bonnekamp Sandstrom, in Staten Island NY. She lived in Germany for a brief period, then moved to Indianapolis where her father taught at Fort Benjamin Harrison. “When she entered kindergarten, she only spoke German,” the Rev. Muir said.

After graduating from high school, she attended Butler University, both in Indianapolis IN, on a debate scholarship, where in 1970 she earned her B.A. in history and social studies, then obtained an M.A. there.

She taught Social Studies for 40 years, in New York City, Sanford ME, then in Odenton MD, when she and Fred moved to Annapolis. He served as minister there for 34 years. She was active in Maryland Democratic politics. She was a fierce advocate of public education, world traveler, avid reader, movie lover, devoted Orioles baseball fan, and dessert enthusiast (most notably cookie dough).

“It was very important to her to have a safe teaching environment. She was very good working with middle school students. She looked at them as people and not as pains,” said colleague and friend Meg Kauder. To bring the outside world into her classroom, Ms. Muir embraced the World Wise Schools program, where students and teachers corresponded with Peace Corps volunteers in the Central African Republic.

Surviving are her husband Fred, a son Andrew Sandstorm Muir, daughter Kristina Muir, two sisters, Kathe Donna Sandstorm and Karalyn Sandstrom Young. A memorial service was held September 24, 2023, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis.

Sue Male

Sue Male died on May 14, 2022 at the age of 89. Her husband was the Rev. Don Male, who predeceased her.

Sue was born on Jan. 27, 1933 in Knoxville to her parents, Marie and Carl Anderson. Sue graduated from Knoxville High School in 1950. In 1952, while at UT Knoxville, she met and married John S.G. Williams. They had two children, Jennifer Williams Nourse and Carl Edward Parsons Williams. In 1957, she and John and Jennifer moved to Tullahoma. Divorced in 1967, Sue remarried in 1971 to “the love of her life,” Donald W. Male, and moved nearby to Manchester.

Sue was passionate about social justice issues, beginning initially as a volunteer for philanthropic organizations and political campaigns that met her social justice values. She proudly stated she was the “first white woman to join the local NAACP in the county” and played a role in typing up newsletters for the civil rights movement in the 1960s. Sue also helped to establish the first chapter of the National Organization for Women in the region.

During the late 1960s, Sue began work as an advocate for the founding of and administrator for the first Multi-County Mental Health Center. Moreover, Sue played a major role in establishing the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tullahoma, a church associated with progressive issues. Sue and Don also aided in financing the Unitarian Universalist Camp, the Mountain Retreat, in Highlands, NC.

Don’s three children, Sherry, Connie, and Peggy, and Sue’s two children enjoyed stays at “The Mountain.” In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, Sue served as a UUA trustee representing the Southeast (TJ District).

In 1985, Sue completed her B.A. in urban planning at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN. She graduated magna cum laude, finding employment as a city planner for Rutherford County in Murfreesboro, including speaking on television about urban issues. Later, Sue accepted a position as a paralegal for the David Bolin Law firm in Smyrna.

During her final years as a widow, Sue moved to Richmond, VA, where her daughter, Jennifer, lives. Despite her declining health, Sue was still able to calculate arithmetic problems and work her daily crossword puzzles up until the last weeks of her life. Sue will be remembered for her kind heart, her determination and intelligence, and her love of family and friends.

She is survived by children, Jennifer Williams Nourse, PhD., Richmond, VA; Carl Edward Parsons Williams, Spartanburg, SC; Sherry Male, Nashville, TN; Peggy Male Lenny, Indian Rock Beach, Florida; Connie Male Wilson, Cookeville, TN; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

A memorial service for Sue will be held in Knoxville at the Unitarian Universalist Church on June 4, 2022 at 2 p.m. where her remains will be interred next to her husband, Donald Warren Male.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tullahoma, TN, PO Box 331, Tullahoma, TN 37388. UURMaPA will donate $50 to the UU Church of Tullahoma in her memory.

Notes of condolence can be sent online.

Elizabeth Gartner Maloney

Betty Maloney died Feb. 2, 2022 when, although fully vaccinated, she succumbed to COVID. She was the widow of Rev. Thomas J. Maloney.

She was born June 8, 1923, in Boston MA, to Walter and Elizabeth (Zepfler) Gartner. She attended Needham schools. Betty’s childhood summers were spent at her grandfather’s beach cottage in Minot on Boston’s south shore. Her fondest memories later in life were of Minot. She was a graduate of Middlebury College VT, with a major in economics; received an M.A. in Economics from Columbia University; and later an M.A. in Education from Southern Illinois University.

She married fellow Needham High graduate Thomas J. Maloney in 1948, a man possessed with Wanderlust. Tom completed degrees from Northeastern; the University of Colorado in Boulder; a Divinity degree from Harvard; and a PhD in Sociology/Anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis. In the year that Tom and Betty spent in Boulder, they became active in the Unitarian Fellowship (the first fellowship chartered by the American Unitarian Association) and welcomed their first daughter, Susan. Daughter Greta was born in Massachusetts; Lisa, was born in Davenport IA; and son Thomas Jefferson was born in Quincy IL.

Tom served ministries in Davenport IA; Quincy IL; and Boulder CO. He also taught Anthropology and sociology in Boulder; in Las Vegas NM; at Southern Illinois University; and started the Anthropology Dept. at Ripon College WI.

In Boulder, beyond raising four children, Betty was active in the League of Women Voters, Shares In the Future (anti-nuclear weapons), and library services to Boulder County. She helped obtain funding for a bookmobile and volunteered with the librarian. She was president of the League of Women Voters. In 1967 the family moved to Ripon, WI, where Betty was a fifth- grade teacher. In Edwardsville IL, she worked as a reading tutor.

In Edwardsville Betty really came into her own in community service: the Human Relations Commission, the Edwardsville Township Community Improvements Corporation, and the Historic Preservation Commission. Maloney counted the months of her service in Edwardsville with bricks from demolished buildings. “Oh, dear,” she would say, “this was a three brick month!”

She helped to create the N.O. Nelson Historic District, the Goshen Preservation Alliance, and Friends of the Edwardsville Public Library. She administered the Community Development & Rehabilitation Fund and oversaw surplus food programs for Edwardsville Township. She worked tirelessly for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment and debated Phyllis Schlafly on the issue. She received the NAACP Award, the Women’s Award, and the Jefferson Award for Distinguished Public Service in the St. Louis area.

In 2005 her husband Tom, “the light of her life, left her.” In 2013 she moved to Balfour in Louisville to be closer to daughter Greta. In 2016, due to increasing dementia, Betty moved to The Academy at Bella Vista. In 2019 Betty lost her eyesight to glaucoma but remained engaged in the world. She was a trivia champion at Bella Vista, a lifelong gardener, an artist, and very interested in genealogy. For years she sent individually painted holiday cards and cards with pressed flowers. As family historian, she compiled numerous books on branches of her family.

Betty is survived by her sister, Louise Birkhead of Slingerlands NY; daughters, Susan Thomae (Edmundo) of Mexico City; Greta Maloney (Bob Palaich) of Boulder CO; and Lisa Maloney Hahn (Dan Maloney Hahn) of Groton NY; her son, Tom (Jeff) Maloney (Lori) of Worden IL; seven grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren.

Donations in Betty’s memory can be made to:

The League of Women Voters (https://www.coloradogives.org/LWVColorado) The Madison County Historical Society (https://madcohistory.org/joindonate) or the Poudre River Public Library (https://www.poudrelibraries.org/donate)

Susan “Sue” L. Majeau

Susan “Sue” L. Majeau passed away in Hampden, Maine on September 21, 2021 after a brief illness. Her husband was the late Rev. Joseph Majeau. Sue had just celebrated her 88th birthday.

According to an obituary in the Bangor (Maine) Daily News, Sue taught school in Hampden and Portland for many years. She was a gifted artist and loved music, storytelling, the beauty of nature, and road trips. Two organizations that were a huge part of her life were the Unitarian Universalist Society of Bangor and Memory Joggers.

Sue is survived by her sisters, Becca Lombard, Mercy Beal, and Marcia Hastings; children, Marci Gaglione, Trudy Bacon (Jeff), Cedena McAvoy (Terry), Katie Snow (David), Bob Parsons; also her grandchildren, Wynnona, Paul, Nathan, William, Toby, and Caleb; seven great-grandchildren; and one yet to be born great-great grandchild (due in Spring).

Sue was predeceased by her husband, the Rev. Joseph Majeau; son, David Parsons; and grandson, Jesse McAvoy. Services were held on October 2, 2021. She was remembered during UURMaPA’s virtual conference in October.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Unitarian Universalist Society of Bangor or to Memory Joggers. UURMaPA will contribute $50 in her memory.

Notes of condolence can be sent to the family at 59 Monroe Road, Hampden, ME 04444 and also to Rosemary Parsons at 167 Old Town Road, Hudson, ME 04449.

A more complete obituary will be forthcoming after biographical research has been completed.

The Rev. William “Bill” R. Murchison

The Rev. William “Bill” R. Murchison died on August 1, 2021, at the age of 90.

Bill is survived by his sons, Adlai Rucker Murchison and William Vincent Murchison, and by his grandsons, Mac Thompson Murchison and Smith William Murchison. The last of his generation, he enjoyed – really enjoyed – the love and adoration of countless nieces, nephews, cousins, second cousins, and all the descendants of his siblings, along with their loved ones. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Linda Lee Murchison.

His graveside service was held in Crockett, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of one’s own choosing. UURMaPA will contribute $50 to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.

Notes of condolences can be written here.

A more complete obituary will be forthcoming after biographical research has been completed.

The Rev. John N. Marsh

The Rev. John N. Marsh died on June 6, 2021 at the age of 65.

John is survived by his father, John Milton Marsh; brother, Stephen (Laurie); sisters, Jane, Susan (Scott Jones); cousins, nieces, and nephews; and extended family. He leaves his wife, Alison; children, James, Aidan and Robin; and grandchildren, Daniel and Nina. He was predeceased by his mother Carol Newcomb Marsh.

A virtual memorial service will be held at 3 pm EST, on Sunday June 27, 2021 and will be livestreamed.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the charity of one’s own choosing. UURMaPA will contribute $50 to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.

Notes of condolences may be written here
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/wickedlocal-themariner/name/john-marsh-obituary?pid=199137113

A more complete obituary will follow.

Mary Mullarkey

Mary Mullarkey, spouse of Reverend Tom Korman, died 31 March 2021, after a long and very public struggle with multiple sclerosis. Mary was born in New London, Wisconsin on 28 September 1943. She attended public and parochial schools there, and then St Norbert College, where she earned a degree in math in 1965. She earned her law degree from Harvard University in 1968 and then went to work for the U.S. Department of the Interior, in its equal opportunity section.

In Washington, she met Thomas E Korson and they married. In 1973 they decided to move to Denver for two years. However, after two years with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Mary was hired to work in the Colorado Attorney General’s office, concentrating on appellate practice. Later, she became the state’s Solicitor General, and then a legal counsel to Governor Richard Lamm.

In 1987, Governor Roy Romer appointed Mary to the Colorado Supreme Court, only the second woman chosen to serve there. In 1998, her peers elected her to serve as their Chief Justice. She remained in that position until she retired in 2010. Her multiple sclerosis had been diagnosed in 1994, and she required a walker in her later years, but the disease never impacted her mind or kept her from fulfilling her duties. While many of her legal decisions are noteworthy, she is also recognized for her leadership in changing the way the courts operated — providing professional interpreters, and setting up child care for parents who were tied up in the legal system.

And at Tom’s ordination by the First Unitarian Church of Denver on 6 October 1996, Mary and her piano teacher played a duet.

Mary is survived by Tom Korson, her spouse of nearly 50 years; their son, Dr. Andrew Korson; daughter in law Emily Terhune Korson; granddaughters Anika and Avery Korson; four brothers; and numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins.

Contributions may be made to Cure d’Ars Catholic Church, 4701 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Denver, CO 80207; The Colorado Judicial Institute, Box 118, Broomfield, CO 80038; The Colorado Lawyers Committee, 401 Lawrence St., Suite 2300, Denver, CO 80202; or The Multiple Sclerosis Society, Colorado-Wyoming Branch, 900 Broadway, 2nd Floor, Denver, CO 80209.

Eva A. (Clark) Morin

Eva A Morin, the widow of the Reverend Roland E Morin, died 3 December 2020 at her home in Keene, New Hampshire. Eva was born in Carlisle, Massachusetts, on May 19, 1914, to Romey and Rose (Fadden) Clark. She married Roland E Morin in 1936 and moved to Hudson MA where they raised their two children, Paul E Morin and Suzanne I Morin.

In 1959 Eva and Roland moved to Laconia NH, where Roland was ordained and installed as the minister of the First Unitarian Society. In 1963 they moved to Chelmsford MA where Roland served as the minister of the UU church. Eva was involved in church and community affairs, acting in a local production of “The Pirates of Penzance.” They lived in Chelmsford until their retirement in 1979. In retirement they moved to Campton NH, where they enjoyed the beauty of the White Mountains.

Upon her husband’s death in 1984, Eva moved to be closer to family. She lived Nashua NH, Maynard MA, Stow MA and finally Keene NH. She enjoyed reading, painting with watercolors, gardening, her family, and friends of all ages.

She is survived by her son Paul Morin and his wife Margaret of Tinmouth VT and her daughter Suzanne Morin and her husband Joseph Staples of Keene NH, six grandchildren, eight great grandchildren and seven great great grandchildren. Due to the pandemic there will be a memorial service later in 2021.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made in Eva’s memory to the Monadnock Humane Society, 101 West Swanzey Road, Swanzey NH 03446 or to Keene Community Kitchen, 37 Mechanic St, Keene NH 03431.

Condolences may be sent to Suzanne Morin, 60 Skyline Drive, Keene, NH 03431 and/or Paul Morin 493 East Road, Tinmouth, VT 05773.