William Robert Belury

1926 - 2009

The Rev. William R. Belury, 83, died on Father's Day, June 21, 2009, while on a trip in San Diego to officiate at his oldest grandson's wedding.
Funeral: Memorial Eucharist of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. John's Episcopal Church. The Rev. David Klein, celebrant; the Rev. Peter Bramble, homilist; the Rt. Rev. Samuel Hulsey, retired bishop of West Texas, participant. Military honors will follow the Eucharist under the auspices of the U.S. Marine Corps in The Garth at St. John's church yard.
Memorials: In lieu of flowers, gifts may be sent to St. John's Episcopal Church for Hispanic Ministries, 2401 College Ave., Fort Worth, Texas 76110.
The Rev. William R. Belury was born in Waterbury, Conn., son of George Nicholas Belury and Effie Harris Belury. He attended public schools and joined the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, following his three brothers who were serving in three theaters of the war. He served with the 25th Marines, Fourth Division in the Asian theater as a machine gunner. He graduated from Muskingum College in 1950 and Virginia Theological Seminary in 1953. In 1985, he received the degree of doctor of ministry from Brite Divinity School at TCU. He was ordained deacon on June 16, 1953, and priest on April 6, 1954.
He married Ann Strickland on July 15, 1953, and began his ministry as a worker priest as vicar of Grace Church, Broad Brook, Conn. He worked full time in the local rug factory and ministered to Jamaican tobacco workers.
In 1957 he became rector of St. Paul's Church, Willimantic, Conn. There he began having Spanish services, probably the first Anglo congregation in the Episcopal Church of America. He was honored by the Connecticut Hispanic Community for his efforts.
As rector of The Church of The Holy Trinity in Middletown, Conn., he was chairman of the Housing Corporation, which built housing for the underprivileged. He initiated the "sweat equity" program, which enabled homeowners to assist in building their homes. In Connecticut he was an archdeacon and elected to the standing committee twice and several of the diocesan committees. He organized a second Hispanic congregation. He was honored by the Veterans Association. He served as chairman of the Hispanic Institute Pastoral, the first program instituted in the U.S. to bring Hispanics in the church. He was president of St. Luke's home for aged women, and converted it into a home for men and women and tripled its capacity. He continued to settle refugees from southeast Asia. He served as chaplain to the fire departments in each of the Connecticut churches.
Called as rector of St. John's Church in Fort Worth in 1980, he was president of Southside Area Ministries, one of the first members of the Presbyterian Night Shelter, Teenage Pregnancy Board and several other boards and committees. In 1983, services in Spanish were started in St. John's, which resulted in the formation of San Juan Apostol, which now has over 500 members. He has served on the board of the Center for Hispanic Ministries in the Seventh Province of the Episcopal Church and served as its chairman.
He was docent at the Fort Worth Zoo and several years on the board of Gladney Home. He was chaplain of the Fort Worth Boat Club and a member of the Rotary Club since 1958. He also was a member of Masonic chapter, Mid-Cities Philatelic Society, Panther City Philatelic Society, member and past president of the Tarrant County Historical Society, Lockheed Railroad Club, Marine Corps League, Mayflower Society, Phi Kappa Tau, and the 4th Marine Division Association.
He was predeceased by mother, father, two brothers, a sister and one grandson.
Survivors: His wife of 56 years, Ann Strickland Belury; children, Andrea Noble and her husband, James, Natasha Van Hest and her husband, Chris, Josh Belury and his wife, Magdalena, Paula Curtiss and her husband, Neha, Peter Belury and his wife, Carrie, and Martha Belury Thompson and her husband, David; 16 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.