Senter Cawthon Crook II

1943 - 2020

The Reverend Senter Cawthon Crook II died at her home in Sewanee, TN on Monday, October 12, 2020, with her family at her side, after a long, difficult battle with Parkinson's disease. She was born in Memphis, TN on October 23, 1943, lived most of her life there, and considered it home, returning regularly to visit her children and grandchildren after her move to live more permanently in Sewanee in 2016. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Isaac Joseph McFadden II, her brother Jere Lawrence Crook III and three children, Blair Crook Taylor (Brian Vanderheyden), Bruce Cameron Taylor, Jr. (Taylor), and Janie Peete Taylor Tillery (Bill), six grandchildren, Reed Taylor Barnes, Mackenzie Taylor Barnes, Bruce Cameron Taylor III, Holden Victoria Cornelia Taylor, June Taylor Rogers, Beau Taylor Rogers, a stepson, Isaac Joseph McFadden III, a stepdaughter, Elizabeth Tilghman McFadden (Steve Holdsworth) and two step grandchildren, Addison McFadden Aldinger and Carter William Aldinger, Jr. She was predeceased by her parents, Janie Peete Crook and Jere Lawrence Crook, Jr.

Senter was an avid, lifelong learner. She was a graduate of Hutchison School and Rhodes College (then Southwestern at Memphis). She completed certification for Clinical Pastoral Education, briefly attended Memphis Theological Seminary and later attended and received her MDiv from the University of the South School of Theology. Following that, she pursued her interest in studying the teachings of Carl Jung by completing graduate coursework at the Pacifica Institute for Depth Psychology and, for a number of years, participated in the Memphis Jung Training Seminar. Less formally, Senter was always reflecting, learning from her life experiences, putting those learnings to work in her own life and sharing them with children, grandchildren and multitudes of others through her work as a counselor, priest, colleague and friend.

When Senter's children were young and in school, she prioritized and cherished her role as a mother. During that period, she was also involved in every possible way at Calvary Episcopal Church in Memphis, ultimately becoming Calvary's first Director of Christian Education. She excelled at all these things, but, nonetheless, had a realization that marked a turning point in her life. She put it this way: Her life task was not to be the best parent, the best wife, the best Director of Christian Education, but, rather, to be the best Senter she could be in all the roles that life had given her or that she had assumed.

Soon after this realization, Senter chose to become an Episcopal priest with the full support of her then husband, Bruce Taylor, with whom she remained friends until her death. She faced resistance from many, including the Diocesan Bishop who had to approve her attendance at seminary but who felt it was not a woman's place. Yet with determination and the support of family and many of her friends, Senter moved with her daughter, Janie, (Blair and Cameron were away at college and boarding school, respectively) to Sewanee for two years to attend seminary, with Bruce joining them on weekends. While a Seminarian, Senter made many dear friends, was involved in Janie's school, St. Andrew's Sewanee and became an Associate of St. Mary's Convent. She went on to become the first woman ordained a priest in the Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee; this marked the beginning of the second half of Senter's life.

Following her ordination, The Reverend Senter Crook was engaged in many ministries. She was a deacon at Calvary Episcopal Church where she was also a lifetime member, as was her mother before her. She served as Associate Rector of the Church of the Holy Apostles and in various roles with the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Mary's, Grace St. Luke's Church, and St. George's Episcopal Church and periodically with other parishes and churches. She also served as a pastoral counselor at the Samaritan Counseling Center for a number of years and later served on the Board of Directors and, for a period, as it's interim Executive Director. Senter said that counseling individuals was the vocation she enjoyed most in her life. She became deeply interested in the psychology of Carl Jung, and met her husband, Dr. Joe McFadden, an Atlanta-based psychiatrist and Jungian analyst, through her involvement with Jungian training. They were married in 1998.

After their marriage, Senter and Joe lived for a short period in Fayetteville, NC and then in New York where Joe served as Chief of Mental Health at The Veterans Administration Hudson Valley Health Care System in Westchester. With her usual determination, Senter soon mastered driving in NYC traffic - rightfully priding herself on her ability to hold her own – and thus allowing her to do supply work for a number of Episcopal parishes in "The Big Apple". They soon found their way back home to Memphis and lived there until deciding to make Sewanee home-base in 2016. Senter loved Joe very deeply and was supported by him through the wonderful times and through the very difficult decade of her decline due to Parkinson's disease. In addition to the love and support of Joe, her brother, her children and her grandchildren during that difficult time, Senter was also supported and loved by Angie White, her primary caretaker in her final years, and Angie's husband, Jeff, her favorite checkers opponent.

In recent reflections, Senter said that having children gave her the greatest joy and sense of fulfillment in her life. Her children loved her deeply and learned from her wisdom and modeling of how to live fully, be true to oneself and in relationship to God. They, along with her grandchildren, will be eternally grateful for her unconditional love throughout their lives. She always liked to say she "gave her children roots and wings", which she did, together with their father Bruce.

Senter had a profound impact on many, many lives. It was her central belief that God is love, and that God loves every single person and accepts them for who they are – unconditionally. When asked, she said that she thought her greatest strength was seeing God in everyone and relating to the God in them. She gave generously, not only of herself, but financially, to causes and organizations that lift up people, promote social justice and help preserve the natural beauty and wonder of our planet.

On a lighter note, Senter was a fabulous cook, a gracious host and could make any occasion lovely. She had a great sense of humor and wit and could really deliver a joke well!

Parkinson's disease made the last decade of her life very difficult but she faced it with courage and few complaints. When asked by her children in her final days if she was afraid, she shook her head and mouthed, "No". Her final hours were peaceful with her children and husband and dear caregivers doting on her. She gave us all the gift of having written her own burial and funeral services some years ago – a beautiful gift that gave back to her in the end. She invited us to read it to her in her final hours, which we did, while she gazed out the window from her bed at the beautiful mountains of the Cumberland Plateau. When we asked if she would change anything, she shook her head and mouthed, "No".

Funeral services will be held in person and livestreamed from Calvary Episcopal Church on Senter's birthday, Friday, October 23rd, 2020, at 11AM Central Standard Time. Due to Covid-19, for in-person attendance there will be strict physical spacing and a maximum limit, and masks are required throughout the service.

You may reserve a place in the church for yourself and/or your household/small group at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0a4da4ad2da64-senter (the link may take a minute or so to open), or by emailing Blair Taylor at btaylor@memphistomorrow.org, while space is available.

If you're unable to join in person, please join us by livestream video at https://calvarymemphis.org/worship-2/livestream/.

The family asks that memorials be sent to the Samaritan Counseling Center in Memphis through this link https://www.gofundme.com/f/senter-crooks-good-samaritan-fund or St. Mary's Convent (the Community of St. Mary Southern Province) in Sewanee through this link https://www.communityofstmarysouth.org/about.