The Rev. Daniel “Dan” Brosier died on February 16, 2025, at the age of 71 (1953-2025). Dan is survived by his wife of 37 years, Katherine and his childr
en: Emma and Sam.
A memorial gathering will be held at 3 pm on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Elgin, 39W830 Highland Ave, Elgin IL 60124.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of one’s own choosing. UURMaPA will contribute to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.
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, Rev. Jay Atkinson – jayatk40@gmail.com.
The Rev. Edwin “Ed” Charles Lynn died on February 10, 2025, at the age of 89 (1935-2025). Ed is survived by his children Bruce and Shary, and four grandchildren Isley, Chase, Katrina, and Max.
A memorial service will be held at 5 pm on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at the Northshore Unitarian Universalist Church, 323 Locust St, Danvers MA 01923.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Marj Lynn Memorial Fund. Checks payable to NSUU (‘Marj Lynn Memorial Fund’ in Memo) c/o Northshore Unitarian Universalist Church, 323 Locust Street, Danvers, MA 01923. UURMaPA will contribute to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.
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, Rev. Jay Atkinson – jayatk40@gmail.com.
The conference planning team is excited to welcome Melanie DeMore for a concert as part of the spring conference, April 21 through 23. Melanie will appear in the third session on the first day of the conference.
Singer-songwriter Melanie DeMore has a remarkable voice, weaving the fibers of African American folk music with soulful ballads, spirituals and her own original music. DeMore artfully brings her audience together through her music and commentary. She has toured extensively, singing at festivals, universities, in coffee houses and concert halls. Her recordings “Share My Song” and “Come Follow Me” are heartfelt collections of her music.
In addition to her solo work, DeMore facilitates vocal workshops for professional and community-based choral groups and has taught her program called “Sound Awareness” in schools, prisons, and youth organizations in the US, Canada, Cuba and New Zealand.
DeMore was a California Artist in Residence with the Oakland Youth Chorus for 10 years and has received an award from the Music Educators National Conference for her work with young singers and artists. She is on the music faculty at St. Paul’s School in Oakland CA where she teaches a cappella singing. DeMore is also a founding member of the Grammy nominated, critically-acclaimed vocal ensemble “Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir,” a group that tours extensively in this country and abroad.
DeMore traces her interest in music to her parents who started one of the first Black theater groups in Alaska in the early 60’s. DeMore majored in music at Incarnate Word University in San Antonio, Texas, and later worked as a studio musician, was a member of a melodrama company, sang in the black women’s a cappella group Scintilla, sang for commercials and wrote music for the theater.
DeMore describes her music as “in the African-American folk tradition of Odetta,” to whom she has often been compared, noting, “I have a very, very, very low voice.” She has shared the stage with numerous artists including Buffy Saint Marie, John Prine, Josh White, Jr., Laura Nyro, Sweet Honey in the Rock and Pete Seeger.
Known to the mothers of screaming babies as a human pacifier. Known to the parents of difficult children as the child whisperer, she transforms the raw energy of human beings into flowing rhythms, self empowering awareness, with a sweet top note of humor and not taking oneself too seriously. An admitted kid at heart, Melanie loves to inject her effervescent playfulness into traditionally serious forums and gatherings, reminding us to lighten up, step “out the way” and let our spirits do their dance.
In her own words: “A song can hold you up when there’s no ground beneath you.”
Other features of this conference will be Odysseys with Scotty McLennan and Phyllis Morales, and a service of remembrance honoring those we’ve lost. We’ll also have the chance to meet our colleagues in Connecting Rooms and worship services. For more information about these features of the conference, please make sure your contact information is updated at our website and watch for email from us. Our FaceBook page will also be updated with conference news.
This conference will be Zoomed, but two in-person pods will be organized, in Wilmington DE and in Kingston MA. If you wish to attend either of these pods, you can indicate that when you register. More news about pods will be forthcoming.
The Rev. Barbara J. Carlson died on January 28, 2025, at the age of 90 (1934-2024).
Barbara is survived by her husband John Crosby, daughters Laurel C Roberts and Dawn C Ross, as well as her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Two memorial services are being planned, one in Baton Rouge LA, and the other in Bloomington IN.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge, 8470 Goodwood Blvd, Baton Rouge LA 70806; or the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, 2120 N. Fee Lane, Bloomington IN 47408. UURMaPA will contribute to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.
Notes of condolence may be sent to:
John Crosby, 800 Bell Trace Circle #257, Bloomington IN 47408
Laurel and Jim Roberts, 10635 Oakley Trace Dr. Baton Rouge LA 70809
Dawn Ross, 9324 Pine Cone Court, Baton Rouge LA 70809
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, Rev. Jay Atkinson – jayatk40@gmail.com.
The Rev. John Richard “Dick” Weston died on January 4, 2025, at the age of 89 (1935-2025).
Dick is survived by his children Alisse W Fisher, Chris Weston, Bruce Weston, Brian Wilkinson, and David Wilkinson, twenty-one grandkids and thirteen great-grandkids. He was preceded in death by his wife Mary Weston-Jones, stepson Jeff Wilkinson and brother Robert T Weston, Jr.
A memorial service will be held at 1 pm on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at Community Church of Chapel Hill UU, 106 Purefoy Rd, Chapel Hill NC 27514.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association. UURMaPA will contribute to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.
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, Rev. Jay Atkinson – jayatk40@gmail.com.
Paula Kreisberg Ulrich died on January 1, 2025, in Edmonton, Alberta, at the age of 88 (1936-2025). She is survived by her husband the Rev. Carl Ulrich, daughter Micaela, son Jethro, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by stepson Benjamin Ulrich.
Paula was born in New York City, on May 17, 1936, the daughter of Ralph Kreisberg and Natalie Liflander. She attended City and Country School and later, Fieldston Ethical Culture School in NY. She graduated from Antioch College in Yellow Springs OH, majoring in Child Development and later from the University of California at Berkeley, with an MSW degree in Clinical Social Work.
In 1972, Paula and her family immigrated to Canada and settled in the Peers area, near Edson, Alberta. She and her husband were part of the “back to the land” movement.
After her children were grown, Paula worked at the Edson Office of Alberta Mental Health and later set up her own private practice, Fireweed Counselling. Paula had a major stroke in 2000, after which she and Carl retired to Edmonton.
She is survived by her husband the Rev. Carl Ulrich; daughter Micaela (Scot Morgan); and son Jethro (Ania), five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her parents, brother Michael Kreisberg, and stepson Benjamin Ulrich.
A Celebration of Paula’s Life was held on January 11, 2025, at the Westwood Unitarian Congregation in Edmonton.
In lieu of flowers, friends are welcome to make a donation in Paula’s memory to Seed Change, 56 Sparks Street, #600, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5B1.
Years ago, I came across a cartoon—might have been a New Yorker gem—that pictured a sporting goods store with a sign in the window: “Now Is the Winter of Our Discount Tents.” Not sure why this stuck with me—maybe because it’s such a sly Shakespeare pun.
As I write, we in the States are, in one way or another, reckoning with the changing landscape of this country’s essence and being. But this is not another hand-wringing essay of worry and fear (although those things dance at the margins), even as we feel a winter of discontent approaching.
Now we need to find those havens of comfort or support and encouragement that will carry us through. Because this is also the season of gratitude. The lingering darkness is a thing of beauty when holiday lights shine. There are, amidst the sadness and concern, whether it’s personal or political, shining shards of hope and support and, dare I say it, joy.
We’re on the brink of the winter holidays and perhaps you aren’t feeling very festive. Understandable. But we still need to find joy and grace and festivity in the midst of the gloom. UURMaPA continues to be one of those places where we can find hope and joy, even when we only gather occasionally. The threads of support are there, nonetheless.
Most of the time when I talk about UURMaPA, I’m given to earnestly touting the good that we do as an organization and the ways we connect within this small community. Maybe it’s an idealized version of who we are. But it is who we aspire to be as a community of retired Unitarian Universalists, ministers and partners or spouses. Do we always get it right? Is it always seamless and effortless to make these connections? No. But maybe that kind of perfection isn’t the point.
The heart of the matter is that we carry on. We pivot and adjust as circumstances require. And we keep trying. Differing groups of people have kept this organization alive and thriving in various ways for almost 40 years.
In these coming days and months, we will keep on in these endeavors, amidst changes and uncertainties. Please stay in touch and involved in whatever ways that work for you, so that the connections we make here in UURMaPA remain vital. We are here. And I, for one, am so grateful to have YOU in my community!
Patt Herdklotz, exulting outside the last national UURMaPA conference before the pandemic, Scottsdale, AZ, Feb. 2020
UURMaPA runs as well as it does because of our volunteers. And most of the time we are unaware of what goes into keeping us connected and informed. So each year, the Board honors an “Unsung UURMaPAn”—a volunteer who has made a singular contribution to our organization, working behind the scenes in their retirement years.
Our 2024 Unsung UURMaPAn is Patt Herdklotz.
Patt, who resides in Oregon, has been retired since 2017 and she began her service as our Membership Coordinator in July of 2020. This particular position has a lot of moving parts:
keeping membership information current (monthly updates to an Excel spreadsheet plus two Directories in a different format, adding new members as ministers retire and deleting those who pass on);
making sure the webmaster and others all have the latest directory information;
extracting information from the Excel data for mailings;
maintaining a separate e-mail “Announce” list… and so on.
The job entails a lot of data management and sometimes proves frustrating. Patt wrangled the information into shape, sometimes against time constraints and a bulky, complex system. Her good humor and flexibility in continuing on with this work when we didn’t find a replacement in a timely fashion is also so deeply appreciated.
For these years of service behind the scenes, keeping us connected in important ways, we are thrilled to award this honor to the Reverend Patt Herdklotz, recipient of the UURMaPA Unsung Volunteer Award for 2024. Congratulations!
Lackey Rowe, husband of the Rev. Jean McKnight Rowe, died Dec. 8, 2024 of Alzheimer’s. He was born June 12, 1938 in Union City TN, the son of Lester Lackey Rowe Sr. and Helen Miller Rowe.
He grew up all over the south—Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky and Mississippi—but always returned to Memphis TN with his dog Red, a present on his 6th birthday, who lived 18 years. An only child, Lackey was given all the things most children think they want, like a pony, cars, attention and support. After a long string of schools, he graduated from Columbia Military Academy in Columbia TN.
After high school, Lackey joined the Marine Corps Reserves for eight years and trained at Parris Island SC. He attended Memphis State University, then attained a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Mississippi. After a stint in the Philippines as a math tutor in the Peace Corps, he returned to Ole Miss and earned a law degree in 1966. He had a reputation for his liberal stance on all matters political and/or controversial in Mississippi.
That year, he married Andromache Castanis. They had two daughters, Helen and Nicole.
He was admitted to the Mississippi Bar and hired as a staff attorney with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Jackson. As a civil rights lawyer, he tried cases all over the state, assisted by prominent lawyers from across the U.S. who came to work with the Lawyers Committee. Suddenly he was learning law from the best and brightest lawyers in the country and trying cases with their assistance because he was the only one on staff who was licensed to practice law in Mississippi.
Three days after his first day at work, he was in court challenging the discriminatory jury composition in a criminal case. In 1969, he joined the U.S. Equal Opportunities Commission, working in Memphis and St. Louis. Later employment included real estate and human resources director for Marriott Hotels in New Orleans, Minneapolis and Nashville, and human resources director at The Peabody Hotel in Memphis.
He was divorced in 1991 and in 1994 married Rev. Jean McKnight Rowe. They lived in Memphis until 2005, when they retired to Brevard NC, where he was active in the Unitarian Universalists of Transylvania County, the NAACP, and was an avid writer of letters to newspapers in Memphis and Brevard.
Lackey died with a huge debt of gratitude to lawyers who practiced in Mississippi in the 1960s and who are still fighting for racial equality. If his life stood for anything, it was “equal justice under the law” and abolishing racial discrimination. This is how he wanted to be remembered.
He is survived by his wife Jean; daughter Nicole Rowe Heroux; one granddaughter; one great-granddaughter; stepsons Michael J. Rickard (Julie Jeannine) and Kenneth C. Rickard (Amy Hobby); and two step-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his daughter Helen.
There will be a memorial service at UUs of Transylvania County and another at Neshoba UU Church in Memphis, dates to be determined.
Donations in his memory can be mailed to Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Attn: Development Department, 1500 K Street NW, Suite 900, Washington D.C. 20005.
The Rev. Harry H. Hoehler died on December 3, 2004, at the age of 95 (1928-2024).
Harry is survived by his wife of 68 years, Rev. Judy Hoehler, his daughters Cynthia Hoehler-Fatton (Robert), and Kristen Hoehler (Spencer), three grandchildren, one step-grandchild, and one step-great-grandchild.
A memorial service will be held at 11 am on Saturday, January 11, 2025, at the First Parish Church in Weston, 349 Boston Post Road, Weston MA 02493.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of one’s own choosing. UURMaPA will contribute to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.
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, Rev. Jay Atkinson – jayatk40@gmail.com.
