The Rev. John R. B. Szala

The Rev. John R. B. Szala, 72, died January 1, 2008 in Plymouth, NH. He was a contemplative monk in a Carmelite Monastery for ten years. After leaving the monastery, he taught school, and then administered a cancer research project at the University of Pittsburgh. In 1972, he first became acquainted with UUism at the First Unitarian Church in Pittsburgh, under the mentorship of Rev. David A. Johnson. Ordained and installed at that church in 1973, he served as their interim minister and as campus chaplain at the University of Pittsburgh and went on to serve churches in Rochester, NY; Salem, MA; and Caribou, ME. He was an active member of the North American Vexillological Association (NAVA), an organization devoted to the scientific study of flag history and symbolism. Survivors include his mother, Julia Szala of Pittsburgh, his brother, and two sisters, and many nieces and nephews.