Rev. James R. Nace

YORK Rev. James R. Nace died Wednesday, July 9, 2014, at the York Lutheran Home at Sprenkle Drive. He was the husband of Iva B. (Becker) Nace. The couple celebrated 63 years of marriage on June 9, 2014. A Celebration of Life Service will be 11 a.m. Saturday, August 2, 2014, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 243 Hellam St., Wrightsville, with the Rev. Barbara Caruana officiating. A visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the church. Burial will be private at the convenience of the family. Heffner Funeral Chapel & Crematory, Inc., York, is in charge of arrangements. Born December 17, 1928, in West York, he was the son of the late Russell A. and Viola G. (Keller) Nace. Rev. Nace graduated from William Penn High School in 1946. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree from Albright College, Reading, in 1950 and his Bachelor of Divinity Degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg, in 1953. He was ordained by the Central Pennsylvania Synod of the Lutheran Church in Messiah Lutheran Church, Philadelphia, on May 27, 1953. From June 1953 to July 1956, Rev. Nace served the Rossville Lutheran Parish in Northern York County. In August 1956, he became the Pastor of Salem Lutheran Church, Jacobus, serving until May 1963 at which time he assumed the position of Associate Pastor at Zion Lutheran Church of Penbrook, Harrisburg. On August 22, 1965, Rev. Nace was extended a call to pastor Trinity Lutheran Church in Wrightsville, a position he assumed on October 3, 1965, the Sunday of the World Wide Communion. Whether it was the lure of fishing in the Susquehanna River, the challenges of the congregation, or the host of loyal friends he made in the community, Rev. Nace served at Trinity for the next 20 years (1965-1985). In 1985 he became the first full time Chaplain at the York Lutheran Home, serving there until his retirement in 1994. He also served as a part time funeral associate at Heffner Funeral Chapels & Crematory, Inc., for nearly 10 years during his retirement. Rev. Nace was active in many church and community related organizations including serving as President of the Wrightsville Baseball for Boys, helped to organize and was Team Representative of the Eastern American Legion Baseball Team, and was a charter member of the Wrightsville Recreation Board. In addition to his wife, Rev. Nace is survived by five children, Martha A. Krotzer and husband, Charles, Todd A. Nace and wife, Mary Jo, David A. Nace and wife, Sherry, Sally E. Kauffman and husband, Bradley, and Suzanne E. Nace-Jones and wife, Kathy; 10 grandchildren, Aubri Sweeney and husband, Jeff, Nathan Krotzer and wife, Bethany, Austin Krotzer and wife, Olga, Amanda Mountz and husband, Dan, Lydia Wissler and husband, Michael, Jennifer Test, Kayla Nace, Nicole Noll and husband, Matt, Katelynn Strittmatter and husband, Andrew, and Taryn Nace; 16 great-grandchildren; and a daughter-in-law, Susan Panebaker. He was preceded in death by a son, Timothy J. Nace. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church, 243 Hellam St., Wrightsville, PA 17368. Rev. Nace's family would like to thank the staff of the York Lutheran Home at Sprenkle Drive for all their dedicated care and support. Send Condolences at BestLifeTributes.com