Carl Herbert Haag

Carl Herbert Haag died at home on April 23, 2025, in Princeton NJ, 71 days shy of turning 97. He is remembered as being intelligent, kind, generous, humorous, creative, quirky and caring of everyone he met. He had a prodigious memory of people, places, food and factoids. He is survived by his wife, The Rev. Carol Haag, children Cindy and Ken, daughter-in-law Nikki and two grandchildren.

Carl was born July 3, 1928 in Cleveland OH, the only child of Anna and Albert Haag. He explored the city and the surrounding area with his mother and his childhood friend Herb Field. He and Herb spent a summer with a Mennonite family in Virginia that was a treasured memory. One of his delights as a child was becoming a magician. His mother and he were avid bicyclers. Later he led cycling trips with Canadian Youth Hostel in Canada and Europe. He took his wife and children on a cycling trip through the Canadian Rockies.

Carl was bright and attended accelerated classes. Following graduation, he enrolled in the US army knowing that the GI bill would help him go to college. Following WWII, he was sent to Japan in the Quarter Master Corp and loved exploring the country and learning about the culture. He chose Antioch College, graduating in 1952 after studying philosophy. Antioch was a significant influence and he took seriously Horace Mann’s challenge to “win some victory for humanity” before he died.

Following a stint in the admissions office at Case Tech, he achieved a PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of Michigan. While teaching there, he responded to a job offer at Educational Testing Service (ETS) in Princeton NJ. He was so intrigued with the Advanced Placement Program that he took the job. He worked as the Director of the AP program for 27 years.

ETS brought many good things into Carl’s life including his wife Alice Carol Schwartz. He saw her in a play as Mommy in the “American Dream” and thought she was dreadful, but when they took a walk at ETS and he saw her take her shoes off in the mud he fell in love with her. They were married on his birthday in 1965 at the Unitarian Church and made their life in Princeton for the next 60 years. They built a house in the woods and raised their two children in that house. Cindy Lara was born on New Year’s Day in 1968 and Kenneth Alan was born November 8, 1970. Carl created a magical, loving environment for them to grow up in. Long before he died Carl wrote a note for his family to find saying: “You were the best things in my life and I loved you deeply.”

Carl was an avid photographer, capturing his life experiences through photos from an early age. He photographed people, the natural world, every family occasion, and his many travels around the world.

Unitarian Universalism was very important to Carl, coming from a non-religious background. He was engaged at local, district and continental levels. He was president of the church, committee member, teacher, historian, library creator and welcomer. He was president of the Metro NY District and served on the Ministerial Fellowship Committee. As a board member of the Universalist Retreat Center Murray Grove, he helped save 200 acres of New Jersey shoreland. He also helped create and lead a men’s group that lasted for decades and continues on.

Carl was an avid collector and was fascinated by tools and antiques. He said he traveled to 3 corners of the world. He loved camping, canal barges, home exchanges, cruises and bicycle trips.

He was a great listener, asking engaging questions to draw someone out and learn about them. Carl’s creative way of seeing the world made him a great story-teller, talented historian and playful companion. He cared about the environment and social issues. He was a deeply loyal and caring friend, father and husband. Carl was a gentle, loving soul who made an indelible impression on the earth and will be deeply honored and missed.

There will be a memorial service later this summer at the Unitarian Church of Princeton NJ. Send inquiries to: susan@uuprinceton.org

The Rev. Marjorie Montgomery

The Rev. Marjorie Montgomery died on April 20, 2025, at the age of 89 (1935-2025).

Marjorie was born on December 2, 1935, in Buffalo NY, to Edward F. Wesp and Florence Norton Wesp, both of whom were committed lay leaders of the Lutheran Church. As a child, she spent hours in the Lutheran Church and cultivated an early love of traditional church music. During high school, she was involved in American Friends Service projects, which sparked her interest in understanding mysteries beyond tangible realities. In 1957, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, specializing in piano and organ performance, from Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Following graduation, she taught private piano lessons and worked as a church choir director and organist. Thereafter, in 1959, she earned her Master’s in Religious Education from Union Theological Seminary in New York City.

In 1971, Marjorie made a significant decision to leave the Lutheran Church. After visiting a Unitarian Fellowship, she knew she had found her spiritual home. She was deeply moved by the UU atmosphere of intellectual openness, community service, diversity of opinion, growth of self and growth in relationships. She especially cherished the tradition’s ongoing search for ways to be both free and responsible. In pursuit of ministry with this new spiritual path, she earned her Master of Theology from Perkins School of Theology (Dallas TX) in 1976.

The Rev. Montgomery was ordained to the Unitarian Universalist ministry in 1977. Before her ordination, she served as a Director of Religious Education at the First Unitarian Church of Dallas TX (1975−1976). In 1976, she accepted a call from the First Church in Belmont MA, where she served until 1980. That year, she was called to All Peoples Church Unitarian Universalist in Fort Worth TX (previously First Jefferson UU Church), where she ministered for a decade until 1990. During her tenure, the church experienced a net growth of over 100 members, built a new sanctuary, expanded its adult education offering, and significantly increased its presence in the wider community. In recognition of her leadership, she was named minister emerita in 1995.

Following Fort Worth, the Rev. Montgomery served as an interim minister, helping the congregations in the time of change. She was a consulting minister for the UU Fellowship of Waco TX (1990−1992), and an interim minister to the UU Church of Las Cruces NM (1993); the UU Church of Tucson AZ (1994), and the First UU Church of Nashville TN (1995). From 1995–2001, she served as a religious education consultant for the Southwestern District, Fort Worth, TX. In 2001, she retired from ministry.

The Rev. Montgomery’s ministry was marked by genuine commitment and a keen sensitivity to the needs of others. She had a deep ability to accept people as they were, helped others find personal meaning in their lives, and was motivated to live a meaningful life not only for herself, but for all those around her. She could draw people to her; even in a large crowd, she somehow found a word for everyone.

In addition to her ministry, her services extended to the wider denomination. She served the Commission for Common Worship (1978−1982) and the Executive Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers’ Association (UUMA) as a treasurer/secretary (1979−1983). She was President of the Southwest Chapter of the UUMA (1987−1989) and contributed to the Southwest UU Summer Institute. She remained an active participant of the Liberal Religious Educators Association (LREDA), the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC), and facilitated the Retirement Planning Seminar in 1991. In community, Marjorie was a teaching advisor for Harvard Divinity School from 1978–1979. From 1990–1993, she served as a coordinator for CROP Walks for Hunger in Dallas TX, and was a member of the Dallas/Fort Worth Ministers Group.

In her leisure time, she found joy in a wide variety of creative pursuits. She enjoyed embroidery, sewing, piano, singing, hiking, biking, camping, swimming, skiing, card games, and macrame. Her son Philip shared, “Marjorie lived her life deliberately, and also lovingly.”

Marjorie is survived by her sons Philip and Richard, stepdaughters Janelle and Stacy, and granddaughters Natalie and Jessica. She is also survived by her sister Barbara Murry, and first cousin Jim Norton. She was preceded in death by her husband of 43 years Robert Duane Montgomery, former husband Dr. Joseph Terence Sams; and daughter Valerie.

A memorial service was held on May 8, 2025, at the Robert F. Jonas Chapel at Trinity Terrace in Fort Worth TX.

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.

Notes of condolence can 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, Rev. Jay Atkinson – jayatk40@gmail.com.

Gerald Oelberg

Gerald Oelberg died on April 3, 2025, at the age of 87 (1938-2025). He is survived by his wife, the Rev. Sarah Oelberg, one brother Sanford, four children Brian, David, Joy and Sylvia, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren. A service of remembrance will be held on October 5, 2025 at 1:00 in the cemetery of Nora UU church, Hanska MN. Following the church service conducted by his wife, Sarah, there will be a Norwegian smorgasbord.

In memory of Gerald, UURMaPA will contribute to the Ministerial Relief Fund, which offers financial aid to ministers and partners.

A more complete obituary will be forthcoming after biographical research has been completed. The obituary will be published in an upcoming issue of Elderberries, and will be available on the UURMaPA website. If any readers would wish to contribute information or reminiscences, we would welcome them. Please send them to UURMaPA’s partner obituary editor, Eleanor Richardson, grandmoot@aol.com

Worship at Spring 2025 Conference

Worship has always been a big part of our UURMaPA conferences, and our next in April, is no exception. On April 21st, we will feature an opening worship to center our attention, and on April 23rd, a closing worship to remind us of our connections and of our cyber-experience being together.

This spring, our worship services will be produced by a team of people led by Joan VanBecelaere. She gathered Kathleen Fowler, Chris Jones-Leavy, Alison Wohler, Jef Gamblee, Mark Belletini, and David Bumbaugh.

In addition to the opening and closing worship services, they will produce a service of remembrance, honoring those ministers and partners who died since our last conference or were not included in a previous remembrance service. We will remember our departed colleagues and partners who died before March 25th. Those who died after that date will be honored during the fall conference.

This service has always been important to our conference attendees, as they are reminded of their colleagues’ ministries and their own ministry. Kathleen Fowler had the enviable job of compiling biographical data and composing the obituaries. She found the experience of working on the obituaries to be captivating. She said, “It was enriching to learn the passions and interests of the various ministers and spouses and how they felt their faith was calling them to be in the world and to express their theology.

“Through social justice action, through offering a welcoming and compassionate presence to the world, through thoughtful self-reflection, through self-revelation in sermons and, of course, through ministering to folks in the pews, these individuals paint a picture of offered love, again and again. They are an inspiration to me and make me proud to be a Unitarian Universalist.”

This spring, we honor the ministry and legacy of:

Rev. Robert Lewis
Jean Newton Box
Rev Dr. Faith Grover Scott
Rev. Dr. Arthur E. Curtis
Rev. Doddie L. Stone
Rev. Margaret A. Keip
Rev. Ronald Wayne Knapp
Rev. Coleen Squires
Maxine S. Steeves
Rev. Harry H. Hoehler
Lackey Rowe
Paula Kreisberg Ulrich
Rev. John Richard Weston
Edwin Charles Lynn
Rev. Daniel Brosier
Rev. Dr. Patrick O’Neill
Rev. Barbara Carlson

Our conference begins April 21 and wraps up April 23. Registration is open at uurmapa.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2752248 The fee is $45, and there are no tariffs, no matter your nationality. Financial aid is available, and if you need it, write to treasurer@uurmapa.org before you register. After you register, please send a selfie to jeffbriere@gmail.com for inclusion in the beauty pageant, AKA, the slide show.

The preliminary program schedule and more information about the theme presentation by Karen Hering, Ministorys, odysseys, and a concert with Melanie DeMore is posted on our website, uurmapa.org and on our Facebook page facebook.com/groups/2003125769981908

Presidential Ponderings

Reverend Dr. Susan Veronica Rak, UURMaPA Board President … March, 2025

Well, how are you all doing? We’ve been witnessing some pretty frightful things (life-destroying fires and floods, a season fraught with soul-draining, system-destroying and economic mayhem—at least here in the U.S.), and for each of us some personal struggles and triumphs.

However it is with your spirit at the moment, I do hope you are looking forward to joining your fellow UURMaPAns for the Spring Conference, coming up in just a couple of short months! It seems like it will be an opportunity to build resilience to face whatever besets us, and also to feel the joy of being together, even if it’s virtual.

Back in January, I did a guest preaching gig and was hard-pressed to conjure a suitable topic and service to meet their situation. I started with a general idea and went from there, choosing the title “Be the Blessing.”

The days before the service I wondered what I had gotten myself into. Me, a blessing? Bless who, or what … and when? Now, in this moment, we may not all feel particularly blessed or strong enough to take up the challenge of blessing anyone. So I’m just going to share a snippet of what I wrote; maybe it will spur some thoughts in you.

Episcopal priest and writer Barbara Brown Taylor wrote that the best way to discover what giving blessings or being a blessing is all about is to pronounce a few.

A blessing begins in noticing—seeing what is before us as it is…as hard as that may be at times. And this seeing, this noticing, should take us out of ourselves, shift our focus from our own navel, our own importance or centrality, and open ourselves to others.

“Start throwing blessings around,” Taylor continues, “and chances are you will start noticing all kinds of things you never noticed before.”

When you’re in line at the store, maybe impatiently tapping your foot or nudging your cart, try blessing the people around you. The person in front of you, the clerk at the register (if there is one) or the person trying to herd the crowds through the self-checkout lines; the increasing line of people behind you, the whining child and the fumbling adult juggling too many things.

Every one of them is dealing with something significant. We just don’t know for sure, but we can still care. They are heading somewhere, just as you are. And they are no more certain of what’s happening at the other end than you are.

To pronounce or offer a silent blessing is to offer attention and pay heed to what happens in the air between you and that other person—and all those other people. Something shifts. They may never notice you or feel that blessing directly, but something changes inside you. Something is pulling you into community, as we are drawn to one another by an invisible thread. And perhaps in this we gain more courage to find ways to protest and resist what is wrongful and corrupt.

We offer blessings, not because we are divine beings who have super powers that give people special things, but because we are human beings who can learn and appreciate what a blessing is and how to give them away.

To choose to bless the world, as Rev. Dr. Rebecca Ann Parker once advised us, brings us into community. And in it we become that blessing.

Friends, fellow UURMaPAns, it may not be much, but it’s what I can offer in this moment.

Peace and blessings, Susan

Ministory: A new feature of our Spring 2025 conference

“Ministory” is a project in development by Wayne Walder. After a single session this spring, Wayne has plans for a larger presentation in the fall.

Wayne has long been fascinated by the power of stories, especially those stories that we know from our time in ministry. He believes our stories deserve a degree of reverence and that they can teach us about our selves and our ministries.

Strangely, though, Wayne found it difficult to coax us into telling our stories. He said, “I was surprised to notice some reluctance among us for telling our personal stories. I think I understand. We have been servants, and servants don’t tell stories. We don’t tell them because serving others, by its very definition, is not about us. We keep stories about our ministry to ourselves.”

But Wayne believes we are no longer servants, “Remembering our ministry and its stories, can help us remember the goodness of our lives, the goodness of our work, the love we shared, the confusion we experienced, the insight we felt and the pain we grieved.”

Wayne found a few of us who were willing to share their story, so he recorded Jake Morrill, Jan Carlsson-Bull, Colleen McDonald and Jane Rzepka, and will present a segment on April 22nd, the second day of our conference.

He said, “We hunger for stories, even the telling of our own. They comfort us, remind us of our work, and they hold up the life we shared. Our work was, is, bigger than we remember.”

To register: uurmapa.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2752248

Of course we’d love for you to attend every session, but if your time is limited, you can check out the schedule at our website, uurmapa.org/Activities. More information about the theme presentation, odysseys, the service of remembrance and a concert with Melanie DeMore is posted on our website, and on our Facebook page.

The conference will Zoom right to your desktop computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone, or you can listen in with a cell phone or landine. Registration is $45, a bargain these days, and scholarships are readily available. To apply for a scholarship, send a message to treasurer@uurmapa.org but do this before you attempt to register.

In–person gatherings, AKA, pods, are organized in Wilmington DE and Kingston MA. Please indicate your desire to attend a pod when you register. Additional financial aid is available to cover pod costs, and you can apply for that after the conference with a message to treasurer@uurmapa.org

After you register, please send a selfie to jeffbriere@gmail.com for inclusion in the slide show.

Karen Hering Responds to Theme Concerns

March 2, 2025. The conference planning team recently received messages from members who were concerned that our conference theme did not seem to address current events in our country. They feared our conference might miss an opportunity to provide resources and support during this unprecedented time.

We asked our theme presenter, Karen Hering, how her presentation might help our members navigate these strange and dangerous days. This is her reply:

“In the urgent crises unfolding in Washington DC and beyond, it is worth asking how the UURMaPA conference in April can equip and support us, as we each find our way forward.

“I have often been asked, having written a book titled Trusting Change, how can we trust change when it brings heartbreaking losses or even nightmarish realities? Surely both of these are true now, as we experience many seismic and unthinkable changes occurring at breakneck speed. What can be trustworthy with so much at stake and so much beyond our control?

“Tai ji teacher Chungliang Al-Huang has often advised his students, ‘First get centered; then explore your options.’ It is helpful wisdom not only when learning new tai ji forms but also when experiencing the loss of balance and direction caused by great change.

“And as we ask ourselves: what might be my next move, or what is my next right action? First get centered. Find the ground beneath your feet. Reconnect with your body, your balance, your surroundings and your communities. Reconnect with gravity itself. First get centered; then explore your options.

“This will be our focus in the URMaPA conference, ‘Called to Connect in Times of Great Change.’ When we are tossed about by change – in our nation, our world or our personal lives – how can we regain our balance to better respond to the threats and dangers now arising? What practices and understandings will connect us to our embodied wisdom and to the powers found in community and in solidarity with others?

“In the tumult and terrors of this time, each of us may be asking regularly, what is my role in the resistance and resilience needed now? Each of us must discern what that role is, and how it might change from day to day or month to month, as our own lives and the circumstances around us shift rapidly and wildly.

“Fortunately, in the UUA, we have many resources to aid our discernment, including webinars and resources prepared by the Side with Love campaign, and books like Social Change Now, by Deepa Iyer, published by Skinner House.

“Our time together at the UURMaPA conference will explore how, in the changes unfolding today, we can find enough trustworthy ground from which to choose our own way forward in meeting this moment. We’ll be using embodied practices, poetry and music as well as reflection through writing and conversation. This is a session intended to both comfort and challenge us, as we consider what we are each called to be and to do now.

“I look forward to our time together in April. Until then, I share this December post from my Substack as a further reflection on how we find trustworthy ground in times of frightening change. I also offer this music video ‘We Choose,‘ by Lea Morris, created in an earlier year and relevant still today, and shared with her permission.

“Wishing you both inspiration and support for your own grounding and discernment in this time.”

Karen Hering, author, Trusting Change

karenhering.substack.com

Preview YouTube video We Choose

Spring 2025 Conference: Odysseys

The UURMaPA spring conference features two odysseys, one with Phyllis Morales and one with Scotty McLennan. The conference begins Monday, April 21 and the odysseys are scheduled on the first day and the last day (Wednesday, April 23).

Phyllis calls her odyssey, “The U-Haul Chronicles: An Illustrated Odyssey.” Married to the Rev. Peter Morales for 58 years, her odyssey recounts in photographs, 79 years, 2 children, 4 careers, 28 moves through 4 countries and 7 states. Fasten your seatbelt! She began her odyssey as a special education teacher, then moved into journalism and desktop publishing. She taught herself Spanish in her 40s and founded a scholarship program for Mayan youth in Guatemala. Her connection to Guatemala is strong, as she sheltered a Guatemalan family for 10 years. She is a leader in Community Search and Rescue.

Scotty McLennan wonders how to age gracefully in a way that might be helpful to all of us as retired UU ministers and partners. He was raised on Chicago’s north shore as a conservative Presbyterian Republican, but rebelled as a teenager and became a liberal UU Democrat. He graduated from Harvard divinity and law schools to become an inner-city minister-at-law for 10 years with the UU Urban Ministry in Boston. He turned to academia, where he spent 30 years as the university chaplain at Tufts and Stanford. He now teaches ethics part-time at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He married Ellen 44 years ago and has two children and three grandchildren. He loves traveling, spending time in California’s wine country, and asking existential questions like “Why are we here?” He wonders how a conservative Protestant Republican from the Midwest became Garry Trudeau’s “Rev. Scot Sloan” in Doonesbury – “the fighting young priest who can talk to the young.”

“Called to Connect in the Midst of Change” is our theme and presenting it is Karen Hering, author of the book, Trusting Change: Finding Our Way through Personal and Global Transformation. If you wish to purchase Karen Hering’s book, Trusting Change, you will enjoy a discount when using the code HERING at inSpirit, uuabookstore.org when you buy the book.

Registration for the conference is now open. Follow this link to register: uurmapa.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/2752248 Or follow the news for the conference link on our home page. Tuition is $45.00, a bargain these days. Financial aid is available and you can apply for that by sending a message to treasurer@uurmapa.org If this is your first UURMaPA conference, use code FIRSTTIMER when you register and we’ll waive the fee.

This conference will be mediated through Zoom, 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.

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.

The Rev. Edward B. Anderson

The Rev. Edward “Ted” B. Anderson died on February 18, 2025, at the age of 90 (1934-2025).

Ted was born on April 22, 1934, in New Haven CT, to Carl E. Anderson and Frances Burton Anderson. He grew up alongside his parents, grandmother, and his brother John. Raised in a New England Congregational church, he attended his senior year of high school in England. From 1954–1957, Ted served in the United States Army on outpost duty in Alaska. Following his military service, he earned his Bachelor of Arts with a major in English from Yale University CT in 1959, and a master’s degree in education from Harvard University MA in 1960. He then taught secondary school English at Cheshire High School CT, from 1960–1963.

Motivated by a deep concern for the spiritual welfare and development of young people, Ted returned to Yale and earned his Master of Divinity in 1966. That same year, he accepted a position as a chaplain/teacher at Millbrook School in Millbrook NY. There, he taught English, History, Ecology, and Religion, coached hockey, and directed the environmental studies program and ornithology research station. This experience shaped his thinking in a liberal direction. In 1970, he resigned from Millbrook School to seek employment more aligned with his theology. He moved to Nantucket MA, where his parents lived, and worked as a carpenter while discerning his next steps.

Ever since moving to Nantucket, Ted served as a guest minister at the Second Congregational Meeting House Society, UU, in Nantucket MA, several times during 1970 and 1971. As he continued his interim service with the congregation, he became increasingly delighted by the parishioners and their religious thinking. He felt he had found a community whose values were compatible with his own. In 1971, he accepted a call from the Second Congregational Meeting House to become their pastor and served until 1999.

Under Rev. Anderson’s leadership, the congregation experienced a renewed spirit, a new attitude, and a new sense of direction. The religious education program expanded significantly. The Rev. Anderson took on the role of R.E. director, teaching Sunday School and leading the youth group himself to help revive both programs. The church grew in both size and attendance, drawn by the content and intellectual depth of his ministry. New residents, as well as long-time community members who previously had no church affiliation, became a part of the church family. Inspired by his leadership and example, the church trustees became more engaged and assumed greater responsibility in the church’s affairs. Younger members also began to participate more actively, served on committees, and were elected to the board. The Rev. Anderson’s ministry also brought greater volunteer involvement in the church program. Upon his retirement in 2000, the Second Congregation Meeting House Society honored him as their minister emeritus.

In addition to his parish ministry, the Rev. Anderson was a recognized leader in the Nantucket community. He served as an elected member of the community school board, where he was known as a concerned, informed citizen and a compassionate realist. He volunteered at the Nantucket Fire Department as a fireman, a chaplain, and an aerial ladder man.

Ted was a vigorous and lively presence. His candor and honesty allowed others to invest their trust and confidence in him. Deeply passionate about Chaucer, he spent much of his life studying The Canterbury Tales in depth. He could recite a verse in Old English, sing a folk song in Russian, reference teachings from ancient religions, and was interested in the politics of 14th-century Europe.

After retirement, Ted and Gretchen traveled the world, studying art history, and continued to tend their gardens, bees, and hens at their beloved home, Two Sheds Farm.

Ted is survived by his wife Gretchen Anderson; children Kathy Caldwell, Candee Adams, and Roger Anderson; and grandchildren Doug Caldwell, Rachael Caldwell, and Eric Adams.

A memorial gathering will took place on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at the Second Congregational Meeting House Society, UU.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Second Congregational Meeting House Society, UU, 11 Orange Street, PO Box 1023, Nantucket MA 02554. Notes of condolences can be sent to Gretchen Anderson, 31 Somerset Rd, Nantucket MA 02554.

The Rev. Daniel Brosier

The Rev. Daniel “Dan” Brosier died on February 16, 2025, at the age of 71 (1953-2025).

Dan was born on April 14, 1953, in Midland MI, to James Sam Brosier and Emily Catharine Brosier. A high-achieving student, he graduated in the top 10% of his high school class and served as Student Council President. He went to Michigan State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1976. After college, he worked at Interlochen Arts Academy in northern Michigan, starting as a dormitory counselor and later advancing to Dean of Students. From 1984–1986, Dan worked as a preschool teacher at Skytown Preschool in Berkeley CA. He then worked as a church gardener and assistant sexton at the First Unitarian Church in Berkeley before earning his Master of Divinity from Starr King School for the Ministry in 1987. Dan had long felt called to the UU ministry. As a UU minister, his calling was to support the development of others and encourage theological exploration. Whether through Sunday services, Life Span Religious Education, one-on-one counseling, committee meetings, retreats, social gatherings, or the everyday activities of the community, he sought to nurture spiritual growth and connection.

The Rev. Brosier was ordained to the UU ministry by the First Unitarian Church of Worcester MA on November 15, 1987. The following year (1988), he accepted a call from the UU Church of Elgin IL, where he would serve until 2013. Under his leadership, the congregation experienced a profound transformation, fostering a spirit of unity and collaboration. The whole attitude of the congregation changed for the better. He was a vibrant and inspirational leader to the congregation; he encouraged open dialogue and helped members work through their differences. He played a key role in the development of the church’s social concerns committee. During his tenure, several building projects were undertaken; he even served as a general contractor during construction efforts and was the only contractor of their current building. In recognition of his decades of dedicated service, the Elgin church honored him as their minister emeritus in 2013.

The Rev. Brosier was an excellent preacher and a very personable minister. He could listen to others and make them feel heard, valued, and affirmed. He brought a sense of steadiness to his ministry and found deep fulfillment in helping and working alongside others, embracing his ministry as a path of service and shared discovery.

In addition to his parish ministry, Rev. Brosier provided his services to the broader denomination. He was a member of the UUMA and the Extension Committee of the Pacific Central District (1986). He served as an Administrative Assistant to the Pacific Central District (1986) and contributed to the Central Midwest District’s RE Committee (1991–1994). In 1993, the Rev. Brosier served the CMD UUMMA Chapter Nominating Committee and took on the role of Youth Minister for the Chapter.

In the Elgin community, Dan was a charter member of the Board of Trustees of the Boys and Girls Club of Elgin and a member of the Elgin Interracial Clergy Alliance. His dedication to social justice extended to his roles on the Domestic Violence Advisory Board, where he served as a Domestic Violence Chaplain, offering support to those in need. He was a member of the At-Risk Youth Program Committee, the Literacy Advisory Council, and the U-46 School District’s Clergy Council.

Dan found joy in nature and cherished time spent fishing. His love for the outdoors reflected his deep appreciation for the environment, a value he carried throughout his life. He also had a sweet tooth and never missed an opportunity to enjoy his favorite treats. Traveling brought him great happiness, and he treasured every moment exploring new places with loved ones. Above all else, Dan valued time with his family, creating countless memories filled with laughter and love.

Dan’s wife Katherine, shared: “A favorite quote of his was, ‘Stay the course’. He was truly a steadying presence for the church and for his family.” Dan is survived by his wife of 37 years, Katherine; and his children: Emma (Aaron) and Sam (Sara).

A memorial gathering was held at 3 pm on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the UU Church of Elgin, 39W830 Highland Ave, Elgin IL 60124. Notes of condolence may be written here.

Memorial donations may be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Notes of condolences may be written here. UURMaPA contributed to the UUMA Endowment Fund in honor of our colleague’s ministry.