The Reverend Peri Murdock—Peace Corps volunteer and world traveler, who discovered Unitarian Universalism and its ministry only in her 50s but managed to serve for another 20 years —died quietly on 29 May 2018, aged 86.

Priscilla Traunstein was born on 17 December 1931 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to William and Ethel V. (Murdock) Traunstein. She was graduated by Suffolk University (MA) in 1954 with a B.A. in English and history and worked as a newspaper reporter, feature writer, and manuscript cataloguer. In 1962 Peri joined the Peace Corps and went to Manizales, Colombia. Back in the U.S. she earned an M.A. in English and American Literature in 1966 at Ohio Wesleyan Univ.

Over the years, Peri traveled to nearly 50 countries on five continents. She taught English and Spanish at international schools in Brussels, Belgium, and in Lahore, Pakistan, and in her spare time, she enjoyed drama, music, reading, history and travel.

By the early 1980s, she had moved to Wakefield, MA. She found her way to the local UU church and quickly became actively involved. Church members recognized ministerial qualities in her, and after encouragement from the Rev’d Nina Grey, Peri answered the call. She earned her M.Div. from Andover Newton Theological School in 1985. Around that time, she adopted her mother’s family name as her own, becoming Peri Murdock.

Ms. Murdock was ordained by her home church on 9 June 1985, and was first settled at the UU Meeting House of Pittsfield, ME (1985–90). After interim service at the UU Church in Reston, VA (1991–92), she went on to settlements at the First Unitarian Church of Cincinnati, OH (1992–1997), the UU Church of Stockton, IL (1997–2003), and St Paul’s Church (UU) in Palmer, MA (2003–2008).

Peri is survived by nieces Leslie Garner and Debra Gerlach, nephew Russ Traunstein, and many grand-nieces, nephews and cousins.