The Reverend Dr. Elizabeth Strong—impassioned religious educator, pastoral counselor, parish minister, and lifelong disciple and scholar of Universalism—died on 20 March 2021, aged 80-3⁄4.
In UU circles Liz Strong was widely known for her work in curriculum development, her personal presence with irrepressible energy, and her many awards. Ministerial colleagues Carol Taylor and Carol Haag wrote that with Liz’s death “Unitarian Universalism and liberal religious education lost a shining star.”
Elizabeth May Strong was born a third generation Universalist to Ashley Walter Strong and Marie Elizabeth Miller Strong on 17 June 1940 in Cooperstown, New York. Their church was central to family life. When Liz was asked—at age eight—what she believed, her answer was quick: “I believe God is love. Jesus is a teacher and friend. People are inherently good. There is truth I know and more that I will know. Service is required of me to live my faith, and in the end all will be well.” At age 13 she began teaching church school at the Old Stone Universalist Church in Schuyler Lake NY.
Liz earned a B.A. in liberal arts from Syracuse University (NY) in 1962. In the 1970s both her parents died, her marriage failed, and she underwent extensive back surgery, with a neck-to-hips body cast. Amid these losses and challenges, the indomitable Ms. Strong, now a single working mother of four children, completed her M.S. degree in elementary education and was named Director of Religious Education at Rochester’s First Unitarian Church. She was centrally active with others in developing the ordination track by which the UUA acknowledged a Ministry of Religious Education. In October 1983 she was ordained by her Rochester congregation and forthwith called as Minister of Religious Education.
In 1988, the Rev’d Ms. Strong accepted a call to the May Memorial UU Society in Syracuse (NY) as Minister of Religious Education. She completed a D.Min. program at Meadville Lombard in 2000. In 2001 she left May Memorial for a seven-year stint as RE Program Consultant for the Massachusetts Bay District. Liz took formal retirement from full-time work in 2008 but went on to her first and only service in parish ministry (2008–2013) as a part-time consulting minister to the First Parish Church of Ashby UU (MA), where she was named minister emerita in 2013 and continued to preach frequently as a pulpit guest into the final years of her life.
At her death Liz was survived by brother John Strong, sister Barbara Strong Vertucci, sons David and Douglas Taylor, daughters Shari Taylor–Lascano and Kathleen Taylor-Wallen, ten grandchildren, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
An online memorial service was held on 8 May 2021. Memorial donations are encouraged to Planned Parenthood, or to the UUA. Notes of condolence may be sent to: Rev. Douglas Taylor, 19 Hodge Ave, Binghamton NY 13901.