Rev. Lloyd Rogers Applegate

Rev. Lloyd Rogers Applegate

The Rev. Lloyd Rogers Applegate died Friday, March 2, 2012 at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. He was born in Toms River at home August 15, 1926, and lived in Ocean County until entering the Methodist pastorate in 1955. He worked as news editor of the Ocean County SUN 1951-55 and as secretary and administrator of the Lacey Township school district 1950-55. He was also the Toms River area reporter for the New Star Ledger and the Atlantic City Press. He was ordained a United Methodist elder/pastor in the class of 1962. He served as pastor of North Wildwood and Burleigh, Richwood, West Warwick and Hope, R.I., Collingswood, Allentown, Highlands and Sea Bright, Sicklerville, (where he oversaw the building of a new church) and New Brooklyn, and Hamilton, Neptune. Following retirement in 1989, he served interim pastorates in Squankum, South Amboy, Keyport and Union Beach, and Beach Haven. He also worked for several years at the Ely Funeral Home, Neptune.

He earned degrees from Temple University (B.S. in education with honors); Crozer Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity with top honors); and Boston University School of Theology and Graduate School (Master of Sacred Theology) in ecumenics and world religions. Pastor Applegate was privileged to attend the same two seminaries Martin Luther King, Jr., did.

Mr. Applegate founded the Allentown Association of Churches, headed the ecumenical office in the former Southern New Jersey Methodist Annual Conference, and served as vice president and president (1978-1982) of the one-million member, 15 denominational New Jersey Council of Churches.

In 1986 Pastor Applegate received the Bishop's award for outstanding work in the field of Christian Unity.

During a 1970-71 sabbatical, he served as New Jersey's First Advisory Specialist on School Integration under the auspices of the Office of Equal Educational Opportunity, the New Jersey State Department of Education. He desegregated a school system in Fairfield Township, Cumberland County. Later he taught sociology at Atlantic Community College, Mays Landing. Pastor Applegate organized the Protestant congregation at Seabrook Village, Tinton Falls. He published various works including a biography of Dr./Cong./Gov. William Augustus Newell who founded the U.S. Life Saving Service, now the U.S. Coast Guard; and others such as one on six biblical prophets, a theological Credo, and A Bare Bones Grammar Articles appeared in The Christian Advocate, The Christian Century, Spiritual Frontiers, and The Journal of Religion and Psychical Research. He also worked as a freelance editor and writer. Mr. Applegate was the founder and first manager of the pastoral care department at Jersey Shore Medical Center, Neptune; served as vice president and secretary of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, chaplain of the Hamilton, Neptune, Fire Company; as a member of the Juvenile Conference Committees of Highlands and Neptune, and sang in many choirs and choral groups as a freelance tenor and soloist. He started running at age forty and began racing in his early fifties, winning several races in his age group, and completing five 26.2 mile marathons, two for world hunger. He ran for forty years before his knees gave up and out. He met his future wife Joanne Wilma Buntain, while attending the Forked River Methodist Church, where he began his spiritual journey at age 17. They were married in 1950 and had one son Gary Lloyd Applegate and his daughter-in-law Deborah of Lincroft and three grandchildren, Diana, Mark and Dawn and his wife Patricia Applegate of Brick. He is predeceased by Joanne Applegate in 1997 his first wife.

Visitation will be at the Ely Funeral home 3316 Hwy.33 Neptune NJ from 2-4 and 7-9PM Monday. The Funeral Services will be at the Hamilton United Methodist Church Tuesday at 10AM at 858 Old Corlies Ave., Neptune ,NJ. Interment to follow at Good Luck Cemetery, Haines ave, Lanoka Harbor, NJ. In lieu of flowers donations to the American Lung Association requested by the family. condolences may be sent to the elyfuneralhome.com