Harry Brown Bainbridge III

Harry Brown Bainbridge III, the 12th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Idaho died on Thursday, May 27th at age 70 at the Talbot Hospice Guest House in Easton, Maryland. Bishop Bainbridge battled lung cancer and heart complications since 2007. Bishop Bainbridge was born in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 25, 1939 to Harry Brown Bainbridge II and Grace (Bainbridge) Holt. He grew up in Oak Ridge, Tenn., and attended the University of the South, Sewanee, Tenn., receiving a B.A. in 1961. Bishop Bainbridge married Katherine (Kit) Turnbull on June 19, 1963. Following three years of service in the U.S. Navy, he returned to Sewanee, where he received his Masters of Divinity in 1967. In 1982 he earned a Doctorate of Ministry from Sewanee, and was given an honorary degree there in 1999. During his first six years of ordained ministry, Bishop Bainbridge served in three congregations in the Diocese of Tennessee: as deacon-in-training at Holy Trinity, Memphis (1967-68), as priest-in-charge of St. Mary Magdalene, Fayetteville (1968-70), and as priest-in-charge of St. Thomas, Knoxville (1970-73). While in Fayetteville, he served as a founding director of the Multi-County Mental Health Center in Tullahoma, and during his tenure in Knoxville, he began a five-year stint as executive director of the diocesan camping program at Camp Gailor-Maxon. In 1973, he returned to Sewanee as assistant chaplain. His primary responsibility was at the Sewanee Academy as chaplain and teacher of religion. He also served in the University Chapel and spent four years as adjunct faculty at the School of Theology. After six years on the staff at Sewanee, he returned to parish ministry in 1979. He served as rector of St. Thomas Church and as the Episcopal Chaplain of Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe. In February 1988, he became rector of Christ Church, Easton, Maryland, serving there until May 1998. With the retirement of his predecessor, he became the 12th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Idaho on Nov. 1, 1998. As Bishop, he has oversight of 29 congregations across southern Idaho. Beyond the Diocese, he served on the Standing Commission on Ministry Development of the Episcopal Church. He served as President of Province VIII of the Episcopal Church, covering the dioceses in the western United States, including Hawaii, Alaska and Taiwan. Under Bishop Bainbridge's leadership, a new Diocesan Center was constructed for the Episcopal Church in Idaho. The center's doors opened in 2007. Bishop Bainbridge also served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Episcopal Relief & Development. During his tenure, the organization grew from a small granting program to a large relief and development agency, serving the needs of over two million people annually. He was elected Chair Emeritus by the Executive Committee of Episcopal Relief & Development's Board of Directors in March 2010. Bishop Harry Bainbridge is survived by his wife, Katherine (Kit) Turnbull Bainbridge (Charlestown, W.Va.) his mother, Grace Holt, and his two children, Harry Bainbridge IV and Elizabeth Bainbridge. He is also survived by three grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the Bainbridge family requests that memorial contributions be made to Episcopal Relief & Development, P.O. Box 7058, Merrifield, Virginia, 22116-7058 or (800) 334-7676 ext. 5129 and the Talbot Hospice Foundation, 586 Cynwood Drive, Easton, Maryland, 21601-3805.