The Rev. Robert Cromey, an advocate for gays and lesbians long before it was a widespread cause in the Episcopal Church, died January 14 at 93.
Cromey, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, was a graduate of New York University and General Theological Seminary. He was ordained deacon and priest in 1956, and served two parishes in the Diocese of New York before Bishop James A. Pike invited him to lead the Mission Presbytery in San Francisco. From 1970 to 1981 he was a marriage and family therapist.
He was rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in San Francisco from 1981 to 2002. In his first sermon at Trinity, he called on Defense Secretary Casper Weinberger to resign because of his hawkish policies.
“Cromey, who stood 6 feet 4 and looked even taller at the raised pulpit, was born to preach, and was the son of an Episcopal priest,” wrote Sam Whiting of the San Francisco Chronicle. “He was funny; he told stories, and he made an effort never to exceed the 12 minutes he allotted for a sermon, though there were times when he got going and could not stop. The only time Cromey could be counted on to be quiet was during the weekly silent vigil for peace that he always attended outside the Phillip Burton Federal Building.”
“He was charismatic and loving and funny, and very motivating for people to improve themselves and work for others,” archivist Jennifer Dwight told Whiting. “That was the electricity of Robert Cromey.” Dwight is at work on a biography of Comey.
He is survived by his wife, Ann; two daughters; and five grandchildren. One daughter preceded him in death.
The Rev. Fran Toy, who cleared the path of ordination for Asian American women, died December 28 at 90.
As a young adult, Toy followed her mother’s career path as an educator, teaching elementary students for 20 years. She was a graduate of the University of California, the University of San Francisco, and Church Divinity School of the Pacific. She was ordained deacon in 1984 and priest in 1985. She served several parishes in California.
Toy spoke humbly about her role. “I could never have guessed, first of all, that God would call me to be ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church, and being the first Asian American female, that it has opened so many doors,” she told Episcopal News Service in 2010. “It’s been a really wonderful, wonderful adventure.”
“She was a key advocate for me when I was a seminarian at CDSP and continued to support and encourage me as well as other Asian American women who entered discernment for the priesthood,” said Diana Akiyama, Bishop of Western Oregon. “She will be remembered for her tenacity and wonderful sense of humor as a priest and mentor in this church.”
“During her long career, the Rev. Toy was a fierce advocate for justice and inclusion and a stalwart friend and mentor to other Asian American female clergy,” Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe said in a December 29 letter to the church. “I give thanks for the life of this trailblazing woman and for her ministry that brought our church closer to becoming the Beloved Community.”
She is survived by a daughter and a son. Her husband, Art, died in 2019.
The Rev. Dr. John Benton Switzer, a religion educator, rector, and diocesan editor, died December 27 at 64.
Switzer began preparing for life as a Roman Catholic priest at age 18, when he enrolled at St. Joseph Seminary College in St. Benedict, Louisiana. He worked for a time at Peoples Bank of Biloxi, Mississippi, and then earned a theology degree from Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He also earned a master’s degree in religious studies from Loyola University in New Orleans and a Ph.D. in theology and education from Boston College.
He was ordained deacon in 2017 and priest in 2018. He was vicar of St. Pierre’s Episcopal Church in Gautier, which was then a mission of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi. Working with lay leaders, he helped it become a parish and he became its first rector. He was an oblate member of the Community of St. Joseph, an Episcopal community of Benedictines that includes monks and oblates. He served the diocese as editor of The Mississippi Episcopalian, chair of the board of examining chaplains, and ecumenical and interreligious officer.
Switzer is survived by his wife, Patsy Diane Webb Leaghty; his brother; and his niece.
Other Deaths
The Rev. Dcn. Nancy O’Shea, Jan. 13
Douglas LeBlanc is the Associate Editor for Book Reviews and writes about Christianity and culture. He and his wife, Monica, attend St. John’s Parish Church on Johns Island, South Carolina.
