The Rev. Dr. Kenneth Davis Aldrich Jr., rector emeritus of Trinity Episcopal Church in Red Bank, New Jersey, died September 26 at 84. He had endured Alzheimer’s disease for several years.
He was a native of Philadelphia and grew up in Laurel Springs, New Jersey. He was a graduate of Trinity College and Philadelphia Divinity School (M.Div. and S.T.M.) and studied at Sorbonne University in Paris for two years. He completed a D.Min. from the Graduate Theological Foundation in South Bend, Indiana.
He was ordained deacon and priest in 1966, and served in three New Jersey parishes before becoming rector of Trinity Church in 1980. The church website tells of how women began serving on the vestry, as chalice-bearers, and lay readers during his tenure, and girls began serving as acolytes. He helped the parish regain losses to its membership, and the church website credits his preaching for it.
Aldrich was involved in the charismatic movement, helped plan a revival event called Celebrate ’88, and hosted a talk show on religion, Dialogues, which aired on ABC affiliate WPVI in Philadelphia on Sunday mornings. He retired from Trinity Church in 2005, and was named its rector emeritus in 2023.
In his retirement, he was especially involved in the Mercersburg Society (a fellowship for theological inquiry) and enjoyed contributing articles for church publications, including The Living Church.
“Ken was fluent in French and conversational in other languages, including German, Spanish, and Italian. He was always delighted to speak foreign languages whenever possible,” a family obituary said. “He had a constant thirst for knowledge and true human connection and would strive to bring people closer to the Lord and each other. He knew many hymns and songs by heart, which he would easily apply to any person or situation, and would happily sing them to you with enthusiasm. He loved to share a meal of any cuisine with you and had an exuberant sense of humor.”
He is survived by Sharon Cook Aldrich, his wife of 51 years; two sons; a daughter; and six grandchildren.
The Rev. Debra (Debbie) Lynn Harrington, a deacon who devoted 17 years to serving in a homeless shelter, died November 2 at 69.
She was born in Rogers City, Michigan, and attended Washtenaw Community College and Eastern Michigan University, where she flourished in field hockey. She was ordained to the diaconate in 2006 and served at St. David’s Church in Aurora, Illinois, until 2024.
After attending college, she worked as a restaurant manager at a Howard Johnson’s in Indianapolis. She learned the art of restaurant management and honed her natural talent in the kitchen. She also met John Harrington, a cooking-oil sales representative whose regular visits quickly turned into a lasting love. They married in 1983.
Harrington’s call to service, compassion, and food came together in 2001, when she answered an ad in the local paper for a position at Hesed House, a homeless shelter in Aurora. She served thousands of meals to those who needed them most. She worked at Hesed House for 17 years, and was known for her mentorship and advocacy.
She is survived by John, her husband of 42 years; two sisters; a son; a daughter; and three grandchildren.
“Whether she was helping someone in need, planning a road trip, or enjoying time with family and friends, she lived her life with purpose and joy,” a family obituary said. “Her bright smile and big warm bear hugs were simply the best. She gave her whole heart to her family, her friends, her faith, and to complete strangers.”
The Rev. Canon John Edward Limo, a Kenyan priest who served in the Diocese of Los Angeles beginning in 2016, died October 19 at 63.
Limo was born in Kisii, southwestern Kenya, and was a graduate of Great Lakes University of Kisumu and the International Theology Seminary of West Covina, California. When he was received into the Episcopal Church, he became rector of St. Timothy’s Church in Apple Valley. More recently, he served as cochair of the diocese’s Program Group on Black Ministries.
Nyanza Daily of Nairobi reported that Limo died just after watching the televised funeral of Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, whom he supported for many years. The paper quoted family members as saying he “peacefully took his final breath just moments after Raila was laid to rest at his ancestral home in Kang’o Ka Jaramogi, Bondo, Siaya County—a moment many have described as both moving and symbolic, considering his lifelong loyalty to the [Orange Democratic Movement] leader.”
The paper added: “Friends and parishioners remember him as a gentle and compassionate servant of God, a man who lived by the values of faith, service, and humanity—the same ideals he admired in Raila Odinga.”
Limo is survived by his wife, Violet; a son; two daughters; and two grandchildren.
The Rev. Canon Linda L. Moeller, a liturgist who worked for 25 years as a critical-care nurse and a supervisor before pursuing ordination, died October 29 at 75.
She was born in Port Jefferson, New York, and was a graduate of nursing school, Barry University, and General Theological Seminary. She was ordained deacon in 1985 and priest in 1996. She served parishes in New York and New Jersey until her retirement in 2022. She became director of the Diocese of New Jersey’s School for Deacons in 2000 and was chair of the Bishop’s Advisory Committee on Liturgy from 2000 to 2009. She was made a canon in 2012.
She wrote several essays on liturgy, including “Baptism: Inclusion or Exclusion?” and “Confirmation: Sacramental Rite or Rite of Discipline and Politics?”
Moeller developed a love for horses while in high school, and she renewed that love while living in New Jersey. She developed a skill for dressage riding, enjoying the camaraderie of riders, and caring for the stable animals. She said her horses, Teddy and Bosco, taught her many things as she learned how to have them respond to her riding.
She is survived by her husband, Harold; a sister; a stepson; and two grandchildren.
The Rev. Dr. Carlos A. Plazas Sr., who founded the bilingual St. Augustine College in Chicago in 1980, died August 18 at 94.
He was a graduate of Xavier University, the Seminario Mayor de Bogotá in Columbia, Loyola University, and the University of Chicago. He moved to Chicago to study counseling and psychology, and served as a psychologist in Chicago Public Schools. He was received into the Episcopal Church in 1972. He founded St. Augustine College with the support of the Diocese of Chicago. He was its president and a mentor to its students. His work empowered Chicago’s Latino community and helped shape generations of bilingual professionals.
After 20 years of service to the college, Plazas became rector of St. Michael and All Angels Church in Berwyn, serving its Spanish- and English-speaking congregations. He was named an honorary canon of the Diocese of Chicago in 2003. In May of this year, Lewis University, which merged with St. Augustine College, conferred honorary doctor of humanities degrees on Dr. Plazas and his wife.
He is survived by his wife, Dr. Blanca Plazas, two sons, a daughter, and six grandchildren.
The Rev. Dr. Arlin John Rothauge, an influential thinker on congregational development in the Episcopal Church for many years, died September 11 at 87.
Born in Eugene, Oregon, he grew up on a ranch in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains near Lorane Valley. He was a graduate of Northwest Christian College, the University of Oregon, Phillips Seminary, and the University of Glasgow, Scotland, where he completed a doctor of philosophy degree in systematic theology.
He was ordained deacon in 1973 and priest in 1974. He served as chaplain of Oregon Episcopal Schools and then as rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Portland, while also lecturing in the liberal arts faculty of Portland State University.
His work on spiritual and congregational development resulted in a call to the Evangelism Department at Episcopal Church Center. His books on parish development, including Sizing Up a Congregation for New Member Ministry, laid out influential theories about parish size that have continued to be influential across American Christianity. He later developed a doctoral program in congregational development at Seabury-Western Theological Seminary.
In 2000, Rothauge and his wife, Earlene, retired to San Juan Island in Puget Sound, where he designed the home they would live in for over 25 years, at the southern tip of the island. On the island, he further explored his lifelong love of the arts through writing poetry, painting, and drawing. Both of the Rothauges devoted many hours to volunteering with the Red Cross.
“Many of you know of his gifts as a teacher and organizational thinker; in seminary we learned about his framework for congregation sizes and types—Family, Pastoral, Program, Corporate—and the kind of ordained leadership required by each,” Bishop Diana Akiyama wrote in announcing his death to the Diocese of Western Oregon.
He is survived by two daughters, a son, a stepson, a stepdaughter, and five grandchildren.
Other Deaths
The Rev. Fred Beebe, Oct. 23
The Rev. Otis Hovencamp, Sept. 10
The Rev. James Maronde, Sept. 10
Thelma Jean Funkhouser Moomaw, Oct. 5
Douglas LeBlanc is an Associate Editor and writes about Christianity and culture. He and his wife, Monica, attend St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Henrico, Virginia.
