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O bituariesProfessional Religious Leaders2019–2020VIRTUAL GENERAL ASSEMBLYJUNE 2020 Unitarian Universalist Association 2020
ContentsANDREW C. BACKUS.1GEORGE BRIGGS.2BARBARA D. BURKE.3CAROLYN W. COLBERT.4DOROTHY M. EMERSON.5HEATHER LYNN HANSON.6HUGO J. HOLLERORTH.7DAVID A. JOHNSON.9RICHARD W. KELLEY.10WILLIAM N. KENNEDY.11MARY L. KNIGHT.12DENNIS G. KUBY.13ERINN JEANNE CAITLIN MELBY.14PRISCILLA MURDOCK.15OREN ARTHUR PETERSON .16STEPHEN E. PHINNEY.17GENE A. REEVES.18ROBERT L. SCHAIBLY.19EDWARD SEARL.20GLENDA C. WALKER.21JUDITH A. WALKER-RIGGS.22CHRISTINE M. WETZEL.24JAMES ALLEN WICKMAN .25 Unitarian Universalist Association 2020
ANDREW C. BACKUS(1944-2020)The Ministries and Faith Developmentstaff offer our condolences to thefamily and colleagues of the Rev. Dr.Andrew “Andy” C. Backus who died onJanuary 22, 2020, at the age of 75.Andy was born on June 12, 1944 inWashington, D.C to Gordon T. Backusand Elizabeth W. Backus. He graduatedfrom Johns Hopkins University, MD witha Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry in 1966,and PhD in Organic Chemistry in 1972. Andy then tooka job at Moorestown Friends School as a Chemistry andScience teacher following which he worked for the Rohmand Haas Co., PA. Later in 1983, Andy received his Masterof Divinity from the Harvard Divinity School, MA.Rev. Backus was ordained on June 5, 1983 by the First ParishUnitarian Universalist, Tyngsboro, MA where he carried outhis first ministry from 1982 to 1983. He was then called toserve the UU Society of Oneonta Inc., NY (1983-1994) andthe UU Society of Schenectady, NY (1994-2000). Thereafter,Rev. Backus served as an interim minister at the UnitarianChurch of Vancouver, BC (2000-2002) and the First UUChurch of San Diego, CA (2002-2003). In 2004, he retiredfrom the ministry.In addition to his parish ministry, Rev. Backus servedvarious denominational boards and committees. He wasPresident of the Washington, DC area Liberal ReligiousYouth (LRY, 1960-1961); of the Middle Atlantic Regionof LRY (1961-1962); and of the Harvard UU MinisterialStudents. He presented a program on collegial worship atthe Iroquois Chapter of the UUMA; and a workshop on“liturgy” at the General Assembly in 1981, and on “UULiturgy” at the Eastern NY Cluster Conference in 1986.Rev. Backus functioned as Secretary-Treasurer for theIroquois Chapter (1986-1992), and Secretary-Treasurerfor the continental UUMA (1992-1994). Furthermore, hewas a member of the UUMA Computer CommunicationsCommittee, and delegate to numerous district meetings andGeneral Assemblies (1976-2000).Andy also provided his services tonumerous community organizations.He served the Community RelationsCommittee of Job Corps, Oneonta, NY(1983-1986) and the Clergy AdvisoryBoard of the Planned Parenthood ofDelaware and Otsego Counties (19831985). Andy functioned as Board ofTrustees for several organizationsincluding OURS, a local human servicesagency (1983-1988); OFO, a humanservices agency (1989-1994); Project 85, a human servicesagency (1990); and Planned Parenthood of NortheasternNY (1995-1998). He was co-convener for the SchenectadyCounty Clergy Association and Community Facilitator ofStudy Circles, an anti-racism program (2000). From 1983to 2000, he was a speaker at numerous community-widepublic events. Moreover, Andy had created his website:“Celebrating Family and Community Gatherings: musicand song-for all traditions, with inclusive language, free ofcharge” (this website will be up through 2020).In his spare time, Andy enjoyed piano, photography,carpentry, boating, tennis, roller skating, and cooking.Andy is survived by his wife of 53 years, Christine L. Backus;his sister Leslie Claire Backus, and his brother-in-law GregCassidy; his nieces Alisha and Hema Sarang-Sieminski andtheir children, Thendral, Kavyn and Suriyan.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the BellinghamUnitarian Fellowship.A memorial service was held at 2 pm on Saturday, February15, 2020, at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship, 1207Ellsworth St, Bellingham, WA 98225.Notes of condolences may be sent to Chris Backus at 2746Broadway St, Bellingham, WA 98225.–1– Unitarian Universalist Association 2020
GEORGE BRIGGS(1930-2019)The Ministries and Faith Developmentstaff offer our condolences to thefamily and colleagues of the Rev. GeorgeBriggs, who died on November 21, 2019,at the age of 89.George was born on August 21, 1930 inHighland Park, IL to George Briggs and Evelyn Rist Briggs.He graduated from San Jose State College, CA in 1952 witha Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, following which he earnedhis Master of Theology from the Iliff School of Theology, COin 1955. From 1955 to 1961, George served as a minister toseveral small Methodist churches in Oregon and Idaho. Hethen worked at the Alameda Co., Welfare Dept., Oakland,CA as a Social Worker (1961-1964), and as a Social WorkSupervisor (1964-1968). From 1964 to 1968, he served theUniversalist Church of Oakland, CA, part-time, assistingthe minister. Later, in 1979, George graduated from LamarUniversity, TX with his Master of Arts in English.Rev. Briggs was ordained in 1955 and welcomed intopreliminary fellowship in 1968. Following his fellowship,he served his parish ministry at the UU Meeting Houseof Pittsfield, ME (1968-1973); and Spindletop UnitarianChurch Incorporated, Beaumont, TX (1973-1982). In 1982,Rev. Briggs was called to the UU Church of Birmingham,AL where he would minister until 1990. Later in 1990, heaccepted a call from the UU Congregation of Fort Lauderdale,Oakland Park, FL and served as an interim minister for ayear. He then carried out a series of interim ministries at thefollowing congregations: the UU Fellowship of WinstonSalem, NC (1991-1992); the UU Church of Canton, NY(1992-1993); The Community Church of Chapel Hill UU,NC (1993-1994); and the First Congregational UnitarianChurch of Harvard, MA (1994-1995). In 1995, Rev. Briggsretired from active ministry. The UU Fellowship of WinstonSalem, NC honored him as their Minister Emeritus in 2000.He functioned as President for theSouthwest UU Minister Association; asa Program Director for the SouthwestUU Summer Institute (1978); and asMinisterial Settlement Representative forthe Southwest District UUA (1981-1982).He served on the Southwest UU DistrictBoard; and was Minister of the Week, at the “The Mountain”(1984).Rev. Briggs provided his services as an Auxiliary Chaplainfor the University of Alabama Hospitals (1982-1990) and asPresident for the Beaumont Ministers Association, TX. Hewas volunteer interviewer for the Crisis Control Ministry,Winston-Salem, NC (1991-1992, & 1995) and for theInterfaith Council for Social Service, Chapel Hill, NC (19931994).In his spare time George greatly enjoyed reading, music, andattending concerts.George is survived by his daughter Irma Polster and herhusband Mark Polster; and his three grandsons, AaronPolster, Julius Polster and Elliott Polster.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the UnitarianUniversalist Service Committee (UUSC) or to the AmericanCivil Liberties Union (ACLU).A memorial service was held on November 25, 2019, atCongregation Beth Am in Tampa, FL. Another memorialservice was planned to be at the UU Fellowship of WinstonSalem, NC sometime in June, 2020 and his ashes to bescattered in the Memorial Garden there.Notes of condolences may be sent to Irma and Mark Polsterat 12716 Carte Dr., Tampa, FL, 33618.In addition to his parish and interim ministries, Rev. Briggs,carried out other vital services on behalf of the denomination.–2– Unitarian Universalist Association 2020
BARBARA D. BURKE(1934-2019)The Ministries and Faith Developmentstaff offer our condolences to thefamily and colleagues of the Rev. BarbaraD. Burke, who died on October 28, 2019,at the age of 85.Service of Hope and Remembrance at theGeneral Assembly 1995.Barbara was born on January 7, 1934in Oakland, CA to Warren Burke andEllen Dunbar. She graduated fromEastern Washington University in1972 with a Bachelor of Arts in Englishand Education, following which she earned her Master ofPublic Administration from the Graduate School of PublicAffairs, University of Washington in 1985. She then servedthe Edmonds Unitarian Church, WA as a student minister(1988) and the Unitarian Church, Rockford, IL as a summerminister (1988). Later in 1989, Barbara received her Masterof Divinity from Northwest Theological Union, WA.Rev. Burke was ordained on January 24, 1991, by theNorthlake UU Church, Kirkland, WA where she carriedout her parish ministry for eight years (1990-1998). In1998, she accepted a call from the Community UU Church,Daytona Beach, FL and served there until 2000 as a NewCongregation Minister. Rev. Burke then served HorizonUU Church, Carrollton, TX as a Program Minister from2000 until 2003, and simultaneously as an Adult ReligiousEducator from 2002 to 2003. Later, on November 30, 2003,she retired from her active ministry.Outside of her ministry, Rev. Burke carried out vital servicesto the denomination. She served as a worship leader for theUU Women’s Federal Biennial Conference (1991); and asa member for the Lambda Ministers Guild (1991), and thePacific Northwest District (PNWD) Ministerial TransitionTeam. She functioned as a UU Delegate for the WashingtonState Interfaith Council (1991-1994); and chaired theNominating Committee, PNWD Chapter, UU Ministers’Association (1992-1995), and the Steering Committee ofPNWD UU Rights Campaign (1994-1995). Furthermore,Rev. Burke performed as a President for the Puget SoundUU Council; Continuing Education Representative forthe PNWD-UUMA (1995); and Worship Leader for theThroughout her life, Barbara was devotedto serving the community. She servedthe Board and Executive Committee ofKirkland Performance Center (1991);and the Advisory Board of B-GLAD,Youth Eastside Services (1991), andGreen Grass Gatherings (1992-1994).She also fulfilled her services as Treasurerand Volunteer Chaplain for Evergreen Hospital MedicalCenter. Barbara was Draft Counselor for Seattle Draft andMilitary Counseling Center and a member of Humptulips,Ministerial Study Group (1991-1995). In 1996, she wasfeatured on an hour-long ABC-TV Turnin
BARBARA D. BURKE (1934-2019) T he Ministries and Faith Development staff offer our condolences to the family and colleagues of the Rev. Barbara D. Burke, who died on October 28, 2019, at the age of 85. Barbara was born on January 7, 1934 in Oakland, CA to Warren Burke and Ellen Dunbar. She graduated from Eastern Washington University in
