The Reverend Dr. Arnold Thaw—whose parish ministry career became turbulent and led him to a second career in gestalt therapy—died peacefully on 15 July 2018, aged 87.

Arnold Thaw was born on 21 April 1931 in Brooklyn, New York, to Max and Hilda Thaw. He was graduated from New York University in 1952 with a B.A. in history and then earned his M.Div. from Starr King School in 1956.

Mr. Thaw was first settled at the Unitarian Church of Natick, MA (1956–62) and was ordained there on 10 February 1957. He then took a settlement at the Unitarian Congregation of South Peel (now in Mississauga), Ontario (UUCM, 1962–68), where his regular columns were quite popular in the local newspaper. The church membership “grew enormously,” and he was appreciated as a “great story teller” and a stimulating leader of adult education classes and discussions. It was a divisive tenure, ending with Mr. Thaw’s resignation, along with 42 of his “disciples,” to form and lead the short-lived Experimental Unitarian Community of Mississauga.

Turning from ministry, the Rev’d Mr. Thaw moved across the continent to earn a Ph.D. from the California School of Professional Psychology (Los Angeles) in 1974. This new career took him first to Flagstaff, AZ, as a counselor (c.1975–78). Dr. Thaw then moved to establish the Gestalt Institute of Phoenix, where he remained in private practice until 1998.

Arnold was survived by personal ass’t. Paula Allen and loving friends in the UU Congregation of Phoenix, where a memorial service was held on 15 September 2018. Memorial donations may be made to The Arnold Thaw Memorial Water Project.