Fred Gillis
The Rev. Fred Gillis, parish minister, skilled liturgist, community activist, accomplished woodworker, and lover of the ourdoors, railways, organs and organ music, died, aged 72, on July 14, 2013 after a long battle with Lewy body disease.
Fred’s woodworking skill and passion for organ music were combined in designing and building his own organ as well as proudly helping with the design and construction of the organ at the Westminster Church in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, where he was settled for a twenty-six-year pastorate. When not pursuing his love of rail travel and building model trains, he could often be found hiking, kayaking and bird watching on camping trips with his family in Newark Pond, Vermont.
In his professional life, the Rev. Mr. Gillis was a 42-year member of the Greenfield Group and was formally granted “sainthood” in that oldest Unitarian (now UU) ministerial study group in North America. Widely respected for his interest in worship arts, he was a founding and active member of the Unitarian Universalist liturgical group, the Congregation of Abraxas and served for four years (1978-82) on the UUA’s Commission on Common Worship. His work in this area is recalled in these words (one of his two contributions to the UUA hymnal):
May the Love which overcomes all differences,
which heals all wounds,
which puts to flight all fears,
which reconciles all who are separated,
be in us and among us
now and always.
(Reading #694, Singing the Living Tradition)
Frederick Ellsworth Gillis was born in Cambridge, Mass, on December 12, 1940 to Raymond and Amy Mann Gillis. He was graduated with a B.S. from Tufts University in 1962 and an S.T.B from Harvard Divinity School in 1965.
Mr. Gillis was ordained to the ministry at the Channing Unitarian Church in Rockland, Mass., on April 24, 1966, where he served from 1965 to 1969. He went on to parish settlements at the UU Church of Halifax, Nova Scotia (1969-77) and the Westminster Unitarian Church of East Greenwich, Rhode Island (1977-2003), leaving the latter with the title of Minister Emeritus. He then moved on to interim ministries at UU churches in Rutland, Vermont (2003-04) and Peterborough, New Hampshire (2005-06), before final retirement.
During more than four decades in parish ministry, the Rev. Mr. Gillis was steadily active in many local community groups and the larger UU movement, serving as chair (1966-67) and board member (1971-73) of the Fair Housing and Human Rights Association in Rockland, Mass., Vice President (1972-73) of the Metro Area Family Planning Association in Halifax, Nova Scotia, , board member (1974-77) of the Canadian Unitarian Council, Vice President (1979) and President (1980-83) of the Memorial Society of Rhode Island. Later, he was elected Treasurer (1968), Vice President (1986-88), and President (1988-89) of the Ballou Channing Chapter of the UUMA and served on the Executive Board of the UUMA at large from 1989 to 1991.
Fred is survived by his wife, Judy Stewart Gillis of Concord, New Hampshire, and his former wife, Kate Gillis of West Warwick: Rhode Island, two sons: Andrew (spouse Karen), of Bedford, New Hampshire, and Duncan (spouse Vanessa) of Portland, Oregon; three step-daughters: Tracy Terry (spouse Marc) of Ashland, Mass., Gillian Edeus (spouse Leif) of Vevey, Switzerland, and Erin Stewart (spouse Jeff Fetter) of Concord, New Hampshire, and 10 grandchildren.
A memorial service was held on Saturday, September 14, 2013, at 2:00 p.m. at the Westminster Unitarian Church in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. An additional remembrance were included as part of Sunday morning worship on September 29, 10:30 am at the UU Church of Concord, New Hampshire.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the UUA Living Tradition Fund, P.O. Box 843154, Boston, Mass., 02284 or to Lewy Body Research, MGH Development Office, Attn: Shawn Fitzgibbons, 165 Cambridge St., Suite 600, Boston, Mass.
Notes of condolence may be sent to Judy Gillis at 6 Wildemere Terrace, Concord, New Hampshire 03301.