Category: Obituary: R

The Rev. Dr. Frank E. Robertson, 76, died Feb. 6, 2008 in Plymouth, MA. Certified in Religious Education, he studied world religions, specializing in East Indian studies. He studied and traveled in India in and Japan, then participated in the creation of a World Religions curriculum. He served congregations in Barneveld and Shelter Rock, NY, and Paramus, NJ. He served as MRE in Washington, DC, Santa Barbara, CA, and Evanston, IL, where he was named emeritus. Frank was a founding member of Interweave, which addressed LGBT concerns. Through their efforts, General Assembly passed resolutions concerning LGBT rights and the UUA Office was established. Frank was awarded an honorary D.Div. from Meadville Lombard. He received the Angus MacLean Award for religious education. He served on the Boards of the UUA and LREDA, St. Lawrence Foundation and IARF. He founded and chaired the UU Religious Education History Group. He was an Elder of the Mass. Society of Mayflower Descendants. He is survived by his partner of 36 years, Rick McDonald; two daughters, Lydia Robertson of Brooklyn, NY and Denene Ray of Charlotte, NC, and three granddaughters. His son, Joel, died in 1993. A memorial service took place April 19.

The Rev. Dr. William Joseph Robbins, 93, died April 8, 2007, in Owls Head, ME. He served as an US Army chaplain during World War II in the South Pacific, then used his GI Bill of Rights to obtain a Ph.D. from Brown University. A parishioner in Rockland wrote: “Educated to the Baptist ministry, he found Universalism in the era before confederation with Unitarianism, and he helped First Universalist over the hump of the post-war depression in Rockland. He was our Minister Emeritus, having served our congregation twice, before and after its move from Church of the Emanuel, and he outlived three wives, the first of whom was Reed McKenney’s mother Nadine. Bill was a devoted stepfather, and Reed and his wife Debbie repaid the debt of care beyond all measure. When Bill was left a widower again, seven years ago, in his late 80’s, Reed and Debbie drove up with a truck and moved him into their home for the rest of his days. Our church owes Reed, Debbie and the girls a great debt. They are a wonderful example of the values we cherish.”

Beatrice Erdine Robbins, 102, widow of the Rev. Douglas Robbins, died March 28, 2012 in Augusta, ME. She was a graduate of Gorham Teacher’s College and earned a BA in education through the University of Maine at Orono. Bea was a contributing member of the Winthrop Street Universalist Church of Augusta, which she and her husband served for 30 years. She was active in the Julia Robinson Murray Alliance and Winchester Groups at the church. She was a past president of the Augusta College Club, Kennebec Valley Church Women’s Association and the Universalist Women of Maine. She taught for 29 years in New Gloucester, Wells, Saco and Augusta. She was a mother, a pianist and a published poet. This year she was honored in a ceremony marking the City of Hanowell’s 250th anniversary by receiving the gold-headed Boston Post Cane as the city’s oldest resident. Bea’s vintage recipes will be part of the UU Community Church’s next cookbook, due out in August. Bea is survived by her daughter, Carol Robbins, four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

There was a memorial service on Saturday, June 1, 2013 at the First Unitarian Congregational Society of Wilton Center in Wilton, NH.

Notes of condolence may be sent to Charles O. Richardson, III at 305 Guyette Rd., East Montpelier, VT 05651.

Wallace Reid, 81, widower of the late Rev. Lee Reid, died suddenly April 17, 2008. At the time of his death he was serving as the UURMaPA Caring Network Contact for the NY Metro/NJ Caring Region. He served in the US Navy Medical Corps in World War II, and was a research chemist for Union Carbide for 30 years. He then served as a hospital addictions counselor. With his late wife, he was a co-founder of the intentionally diverse UU Congregation of the Palisades in Englewood, NJ. Eight years after they helped to found the church, Lee was killed in a tragic accident. After her death Wally remained on as an integral part of the congregation. He is survived by their three daughters Martha, Kate and Sarah Reid.

Annette Helen Youngs Redman, 96, widow of the Rev. Edward Redman, died Sept. 17, 2012. She took an active role in the churches her husband served. She was a leader at the Lake Geneva Summer Assembly in Williams Bay, WI, for 50 years. And she was also an accomplished needlewoman and knitter.

The Rev. Hartley C. Ray, 92, died August 21, 2010. A graduate of Bates College and the University of Chicago Divinity School, he also worked on a Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion, at U. of Chicago. Ordained a Congregationalist, he served Congregational church in El Paso, TX, after having been fellowshipped by the AUA. In El Paso he was a member of the executive committee of the Southern Conference for Human Welfare. He served churches in Chicago; Highland Park, IL; and Orange, NJ. He served as chaplain at Philadelphia State Hospital for 19 years and the Philadelphia Protestant Home for two years. He served non-UU churches in CT and PA, as well. Active in the Chicago and NYC ministers study and fellowship groups, he was also a member of the Community Service Council of Oranges and Maplewood, NJ, a planning body for welfare agencies and hospitals. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Kay Hartley, of 49 years, Kay Hartley, three daughters and five grandchildren.

The Rev. Dr. Peter Spilman Raible, 74, died May 17, 2004 of congestive heart failure in a hospice in Seattle, WA. He served congregations in Providence, RI; Lincoln, NE; Seattle, Tacoma and Bainbridge, WA; Tulsa, OK; and Kirkwood, MO.. He was executive director for the Pacific Northwest District and served as Interim Director of Settlement at the UUA. He is survived by his brother, the Rev. Christopher Raible of Creemore, ON; his children, the Rev. Deborah Raible of Seattle; Stephen Raible of Stanwood, WA; Robin Raible of Seattle; and Robert Raible of Danville, CA; and eight grandchildren.

Jeanne Washeim Reed, age 87, died on July 9, 2016.  Jeanne was the wife of the Reverend Robert “Bob” Reed, whom she met in high school, dated through college, and married in 1950, when they both graduated. Shortly after Bob had enrolled in graduate school, the children started coming, and a change of plans was required. They moved to Arlington VA, where he found work, and Jeanne began teaching in the local schools. She continued teaching until she retired.

In Arlington, they found the Unitarian Church and became members. They served in the church school and soon Bob felt a call to ministry. He enrolled at Meadville Lombard and they moved to Park Forest, IL. After his graduation they returned to Arlington for a year, then served in Bloomington, IL for 8 years, Louisville, KY for 17 years, and Shelter Rock for 9 years. They returned to Louisville when they retired in 1994.

Jeanne was very busy most of her life, taking the bigger share of family and household duties while continuing her work in the schools. She kept the home running by being well organized and maintaining strict standards. Her career unfolded into working at a modified residency school for children with behavioral issues. She also remained engaged with the church, singing in the choir and becoming renowned for the biscotti she made and the cookies she baked each Christmas.

Aside from her work and church, Jeanne loved her summers in Wisconsin, where she would read voraciously. She enjoyed the local sports teams and the orchestra, and always had houseplants to attend to. She made friends wherever they lived, both within and outside the congregations they served.

Although she suffered from a cognitive decline in the last few years of her life, she is remembered as an amazingly capable woman who juggled career and family in a time before such a thing was common. She was survived by her husband of 66 years, Robert Reed (now deceased); four sons, Robert (Sherrille), Doug (Lynn), Jeff (Nancy) and David (Kathleen) Reed and seven grandchildren.