John A. Naegele

Rev. John A. Naegele III, 93, most recently of Las Cruces, New Mexico, formerly a resident of Pennsylvania and Maryland, passed away on April 13, 2026, at Mesilla Valley Hospice.

Born on January 11, 1933, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was the son of the late John A. Naegele Jr. and Natalie Rohrer Naegele.

He grew up in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. He was raised in the church, deeply influenced by his mother who was a young staff member at Christ Church and St. Michael's Episcopal Church, and the Rector there, Rev. Dr. William Aulenbach, whose mentorship ultimately led him to become a priest. He was a graduate of Germantown High School.

He spent a brief time in the Army as a young man during the Korean War era. When he was discharged he began his life's work, attending West Virginia State University and then Lexington Theological Seminary, and was ordained as an Episcopal priest in 1963. He faithfully served the Episcopal church for nearly his entire life, while also often working in secular fields. He spent time as a carpentry teacher working with young men, helping them develop vocational skills.

For over two decades Father John worked in nursing home administration alongside his work in the Episcopal church. He served a number of churches over his 63 years of priesthood. Among them were four of his most beloved; serving as the Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, Lansford, Pennsylvania, Rector of Hope Church in Manheim, Pennsylvania, Associate Rector at St. Luke's in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and Associate Rector at St. Philip's in Annapolis, Maryland.

Although he was a lifelong Episcopalian, when he moved to New Mexico he agreed to join his daughter for church and became a faithful member of the Morning Star United Methodist Church community in Las Cruces. He lived at the Northrise Morningside community during the last four years of his life, thoroughly enjoying his life there filled with friends and activities.

He is survived by his children, Kathryn Naegele-Delgado, and her husband, Anselmo Delgado-Martinez, John A. Naegele IV, and Michael Naegele and his wife, Lisa Haney Naegele, and his grandchildren, Jon Delgado-Naegele, Alejandra Delgado-Naegele, Jessica Naegele, and Sara Naegele.

He was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Nance Lou Radulavic, and his wife, Ellen Wiley Sleat, his high-school sweetheart. Ellen was John's great love—they reconnected in their 50's and spent 25 wonderful years together.

Father John lived a long, full, and love-filled life. As a young priest he was active in the civil rights movement in the South, and later stood up in the Episcopal church for women's rights, participating in an early and unsanctioned ordination of some of the first women as Episcopal priests. He was an artistic person who especially enjoyed combining his love of photography and birding. He loved being a park volunteer in Annapolis and a Boy Scout leader in Pennsylvania.