The Rev. Dr. Brock H. Leach died on May 25, 2026, at the age of 67 (1958–2026).
Brock is survived by his brother John Leach, his wife Julie Leach, his children, Joshua Leach and Elizabeth Savage, and his grandchildren, Charles Davies Savage and Naomi May Savage.
A celebration of Brock’s life will be planned later.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in his name may be made to the following organizations:
Donations may also be made to any of the many organizations and causes dear to Brock’s heart. 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. Kathleen Fowler at kathleenclarkfowler@gmail.com
The Rev. Richard M. Fewkes died on May 15, 2026, at the age of 89 (1936–2026).
Richard is survived by his partner Connie Joy Johnson; his four children, Charles Buckley, James Buckley, Kenneth Buckley, and Jennifer Loring; his 10 grandchildren, Adam Buckley, Andrew Buckley, Nathan Buckley, Kenneth Buckley Jr., Katelyn Buckley, Eric Buckley, Allison Cabral, Julia Cabral, Elijah Loring, and Marlena Loring; and his five great-grandchildren, Claire, Caroline, and Mary Buckley, and Jonathan and Hannah Buckley. He is also survived by his sister Maxine Batrawi.
A Memorial Service and Celebration of Life Reception will be held at 11:00 a.m. on July 11, 2026, at the First Parish in Norwell, 24 River Street, Norwell MA 02061. All are welcome to attend. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the First Parish in Norwell Ministry Fund, 24 River St., Norwell MA 02061. UURMaPA will contribute to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.
Notes of condolence may be emailed to Jennifer Loring at jennloring72@yahoo.com or mailed to 129 Elm Street, Stoneham MA 02180.
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. Kathleen Fowler at kathleenclarkfowler@gmail.com
The Creative Sageing Award is given to a UURMaPA member for their outstanding service and creativity in pursuing new or continued ventures after retirement and building on one’s experience in creative ways. This might involve, for example, mentoring, public service, fostering spiritual growth, writing/publishing, creating and or participating in community and denominational service projects and organizations.
Betty Stapleford
The2026 Creative Sageing Award was presented to Betty Stapleford in recognition of her persistent volunteer service on behalf of immigrants and marginalized people during her years of active ministry and retirement in Southern California.
Betty initially embraced Unitarian Universalism in the 1960s in Atlanta, GA, because UUs were walking their talk concerning racial justice and civil rights. This established a trajectory of championing those experiencing social injustice throughout her ministerial career. About 15 years ago, when Betty was serving as minister at the UU Fellowship of the Conejo Valley near Thousand Oaks CA, some members of the congregation initiated a project to transport visitors to the Adelanto Detention Center, which houses immigrants in the Mojave Desert over two hours away. Many family members of those detained had no way to travel to the facility.
Betty was moved by the plight of people held in detention not because they were criminals but because they lacked the necessary papers. She began driving people out to Adelanto each month to visit detainees and support their family members in doing so. The project now also posts bond, when possible, or provides assistance when people are released from detention. After release or deportation, some former detainees have kept in touch with Betty, whom some of the younger ones call “Ma.”
Betty is active in other service organizations in her area northwest of Los Angeles, including Ventura County CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice), working for racial justice and affordable housing, as well as 805 UndocuFund, and IOOVC, committed to getting ICE out of Ventura County. She has regularly attended, and sometimes spoken at press conferences and immigration rallies—and even made sure to be there in a wheelchair when she had a broken foot.
After retiring from ministerial leadership at the Conejo Valley congregation, Betty served the UU Church of the Verdugo Hills in La Crescenta and then as the affiliate Community Minister for Social Justice at the UU Church of Santa Paula, whose Social Concerns Action Committee has continued to increase its activity with food banks and other programs for this diverse community. She regularly drove for the Adelanto project in the years leading up to the COVID epidemic, during which the 1400-person Detention Center emptied out. After the COVID hiatus, she has resumed her monthly trips out to Adelanto.
“Visiting can be heartbreaking, hearing stories of how detainees got there,” she observes. “Many are asylum seekers. Medical care and food are terrible; all creature comforts are missing. At least we can offer compassion and listening ears—and see what’s going on at the Center.”
The churches in Betty’s community have become central to resistance and to supporting one another. At age 83, Betty continues her lifelong commitment to advancing justice through continuing visitation to the Adelanto Detention Center and to advocacy for immigrant justice in Ventura County in the face of increasing anti-immigrant activities by the federal government. For consistently walking her talk and living out her UU values and commitments, we are pleased to honor Betty Stapleford with our 2026 Creative Sageing Award.
Award Recipients receive a $500 honorarium from UURMaPA. We encourage all UURMaPA members to consider who you might want to suggest for these awards in the future, possibly including yourself. UURMaPA is a talented group of retired ministers and partners. There are many individuals within our membership who are worthy of recognition, but too often organizations fail to recognize their valuable participants.
Over the years, the Unitarian Universalist Retired Ministers and Partners Association has instituted these awards in order to highlight the contributions of our members to UURMaPA and to the larger world. We invite you to go to our website to read about past award recipients.
Respectfully submitted by Charles J. Stephens, UURMaPA Vice-President
TheUnsung UURMaPAn Award is given to a UURMAPA member who has not been recognized for their vital contributions to UURMaPA or for their generous service to others. The award honors a volunteer who has made an extraordinary contribution to our association, working behind the scenes during their retirement. The successful nominee will not have been recognized in this way elsewhere.
The2026 Unsung UURMaPan Award was presented to Sonya Sukalski…
Sonya Sukalski
…for sustained, steady leadership, compassionate service, and tireless behind-the-scenes commitment. After retiring from active ministry in 2022, Sonya joined UURMaPA through friends and small groups. She quickly moved from participant to dedicated volunteer: coordinating connecting rooms for the spring and fall 2023 conferences, guiding Odyssey presenters in spring 2024, serving as convener for the fall 2024 conference, and sharing convener duties for both the spring and fall 2025 conferences.
Along the way, she recruited and trained facilitators, kept plans, presenters, timelines, and deadlines on track, and shaped team culture—always opening meetings with check-ins and helping create virtual relationship guidelines that strengthened the planning team.
When her husband, Mitch, faced two rounds of leukemia treatment and bone marrow transplants, first in the fall of 2024 and then in the fall of 2025, Sonya’s resilience and devotion never wavered. Even while balancing caregiving and urgent medical demands, she continued to contribute—transitioning into the pod connector role last fall—and remained a calm, steady presence who kept people connected and supported.
Sonya’s work exemplifies the spirit of this award: humble, essential service; leadership through listening; and a generosity that kept UURMaPA gatherings running smoothly and compassionately.
Award Recipients receive a $500 honorarium from UURMaPA. We encourage all UURMaPA members to consider who you might want to suggest for these awards in the future, possibly including yourself. UURMaPA is a talented group of retired ministers and partners. There are many individuals within our membership who are worthy of recognition, but too often organizations fail to recognize their valuable participants.
Over the years, the Unitarian Universalist Retired Ministers and Partners Association has instituted these awards in order to highlight the contributions of our members to UURMaPA and to the larger world. We invite you to go to our website to read about past award recipients.
Respectfully submitted by Charles J. Stephens, UURMaPA Vice-President
The Creative Sageing Award is given to a UURMaPA member for their outstanding service and creativity in pursuing new or continued ventures after retirement and building on one’s experience in creative ways. This might involve, for example, mentoring, public service, fostering spiritual growth, writing/publishing, creating and or participating in community and denominational service projects and organizations.
The2026 Creative Sageing Award was presented to Betty Stapleford in recognition of her persistent volunteer service on behalf of immigrants and marginalized people during her years of active ministry and retirement in Southern California.
Betty initially embraced Unitarian Universalism in the 1960s in Atlanta, GA, because UUs were walking their talk concerning racial justice and civil rights. This established a trajectory of championing those experiencing social injustice throughout her ministerial career. About 15 years ago, when Betty was serving as minister at the UU Fellowship of the Conejo Valley near Thousand Oaks CA, some members of the congregation initiated a project to transport visitors to the Adelanto Detention Center, which houses immigrants in the Mojave Desert over two hours away. Many family members of those detained had no way to travel to the facility.
Betty was moved by the plight of people held in detention not because they were criminals but because they lacked the necessary papers. She began driving people out to Adelanto each month to visit detainees and support their family members in doing so. The project now also posts bond, when possible, or provides assistance when people are released from detention. After release or deportation, some former detainees have kept in touch with Betty, whom some of the younger ones call “Ma.”
Betty is active in other service organizations in her area northwest of Los Angeles, including Ventura County CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice), working for racial justice and affordable housing, as well as 805 UndocuFund, and IOOVC, committed to getting ICE out of Ventura County. She has regularly attended, and sometimes spoken at press conferences and immigration rallies—and even made sure to be there in a wheelchair when she had a broken foot.
After retiring from ministerial leadership at the Conejo Valley congregation, Betty served the UU Church of the Verdugo Hills in La Crescenta and then as the affiliate Community Minister for Social Justice at the UU Church of Santa Paula, whose Social Concerns Action Committee has continued to increase its activity with food banks and other programs for this diverse community. She regularly drove for the Adelanto project in the years leading up to the COVID epidemic, during which the 1400-person Detention Center emptied out. After the COVID hiatus, she has resumed her monthly trips out to Adelanto.
“Visiting can be heartbreaking, hearing stories of how detainees got there,” she observes. “Many are asylum seekers. Medical care and food are terrible; all creature comforts are missing. At least we can offer compassion and listening ears—and see what’s going on at the Center.”
The churches in Betty’s community have become central to resistance and to supporting one another. At age 83, Betty continues her lifelong commitment to advancing justice through continuing visitation to the Adelanto Detention Center and to advocacy for immigrant justice in Ventura County in the face of increasing anti-immigrant activities by the federal government. For consistently walking her talk and living out her UU values and commitments, we are pleased to honor Betty Stapleford with our 2026 Creative Sageing Award.
Award Recipients receive a $500 honorarium from UURMaPA. We encourage all UURMaPA members to consider who you might want to suggest for these awards in the future, possibly including yourself. UURMaPA is a talented group of retired ministers and partners. There are many individuals within our membership who are worthy of recognition, but too often organizations fail to recognize their valuable participants.
Over the years, the Unitarian Universalist Retired Ministers and Partners Association has instituted these awards in order to highlight the contributions of our members to UURMaPA and to the larger world. We invite you to go to our website to read about past award recipients.
Respectfully submitted by Charles J. Stephens, UURMaPA Vice-President
Rationale: This role serves as a liaison between the UURMaPA Board and the Convener of the Conference Planning Team, which organizes an annual fall conference and ensures that planning, content, and execution align with UURMaPA’s goals, budget, and policies.
As a member of the UURMaPA Board, the Liaison to the Conference Planning Team prepares for and attends monthly Board meetings (conducted online via Zoom and, if necessary, in person at an annual retreat), participates in decision-making, and assumes other duties as needed. The Liaison submits monthly reports to the Board and keeps the Conference Convener(s) informed about relevant Board activities.
Expectations: Liaison to the Conference Planning Team is responsible for these tasks:
With the help of the Conference Planning Team Convener and the Board, recruit the next Convener(s).
Provide support to the Convener(s), as needed.
Assist in recruiting UURMaPA members to join the team.
Assist the Conference Convener(s) in preparing a Proposed Budget for the conference, if needed. Conferences must cover their costs through registration fees unless special circumstances allow for grants.
Submit monthly progress reports of conference planning to the Board.
After the conference, arrange for InSpirit gift cards for Conference Planning Team members and Odyssey presenters.
Be available after completing the term(s) on the Board to transition with the newly elected Board member, if needed.
Compiled by Barbro Hansson, February 2025; Revised March 2026; Revised May 2026
The Rev. Dr. Paul S. Johnson died on April 22, 2026, at the age of 82 (1944–2026). Paul is survived by his wife, Carol Rowan, his children, Kristin Johnson and David Johnson, and his granddaughter, Rowan Johnson.
A memorial service is being planned.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Meadville Lombard Theological School, 180 N Wabash Ave #700, Chicago IL 60601. UURMaPA will contribute to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.
Notes of condolence may be sent to Carol Rowan at 1537 NE Cedar St, Unit 142, Jensen Beach FL 34957.
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. Kathleen Fowler at kathleenclarkfowler@gmail.com
The Rev. Roy Winston Reynolds died on April 22, 2026, at the age of 81 (1944–2026).
Roy is survived by his wife Jean Lamer; his daughter Tonya Ricks (David); his grandson Braden Ricks; and his great-grandchildren Beckett, Bonnie, and Brysse Ricks. He is also survived by his sister Anne Buckner, his brother Joseph Reynolds, his niece and caregiver Tiffany Buckner Sholar, his nieces Kaithlyn Paschall and Makayla Sachse, and their mother Dianna Pettit, along with many treasured grandnieces and grandnephews.
A memorial service celebrating Roy’s life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 7, 2026, at the First Christian Church in Morehead, 227 E Main St, Morehead KY 40351.
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages acts of kindness and community service in Roy’s memory, honoring his lifelong dedication to compassion, music, and unity. 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. Kathleen Fowler at kathleenclarkfowler@gmail.com
The Rev. Duke T. Gray died on April 21, 2026, at the age of 87 (1938–2026).
Duke is survived by his children, Theodore “Ted” Gray and Arthur Gray, his grandchildren, Lillian, Emalyn, Aaric, Eleana, and Thomas Gray, his sisters-in-law, Ann-Jane Wong and Bridget Hughes, his brother-in-law Ronald Carter, his nephews, Richard Rogers and Mark Rogers and his great-nieces and great-nephew, Julie, Becky, Heather, and Matthew.
A visitation and funeral service were held on Friday, May 8, 2026.
In lieu of flowers, memorial 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. Kathleen Fowler at kathleenclarkfowler@gmail.com
