Bruce Armfield Weatherly

Bruce Armfield Weatherly

The Reverend Canon Bruce Armfield Weatherly died at his home in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Thursday, July 9, after a four-year battle with cancer.

He was born in Montrose, Pennsylvania, in 1924, received his B.A. degree from Yale University in 1947, and his Master of Divinity degree in 1950 from Berkeley Divinity School (now Berkeley at Yale). After serving Episcopal parishes in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and Covington, Kentucky, he was Rector of Trinity Church, Moorestown, New Jersey from 1959 until he retired in 1994.

His survivors include his wife of 59 years, Margaret Hiscock Weatherly; and their five children, the Reverend John Weatherly and his wife, Beverly, of Alexandria, Christopher Weatherly and his wife, Marina, of Stevensville, Montana, Margaret E. "Melissa" Weatherly of Charlottesville, Mark Weatherly and his wife, Danila, of Silver Spring, Maryland, Peter Weatherly of Charlottesville; and nine grandchildren. His sister, Carol W. Tallmadge lives in Media, Pennsylvania.

He served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, from 1942 until 1946 and was a Chaplain in the Navy Reserve from 1957 until 1963.

During his tenure at Trinity Episcopal Church in Moorestown, he held numerous positions in the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey and was made honorary Canon of the Cathedral in Trenton. While the primary focus of his ministry was Trinity Parish, he contributed greatly to the wider community of Moorestown and Southern New Jersey. He served as Board Member and/or President of many service organizations. Among them were: Drenk Memorial Guidance Center; Mental Health Board of Burlington County; Affiliated Community Health Center; POST House Drug Rehabilitation Program; CONTACT (Crisis telephone hotline); Biomedical Ethics Committee, Memorial Hospital of Burlington County; Family Service; Samaritan Hospice, Interfaith Caregivers, Inc; Citizens Committee on Biomedical Ethics of New Jersey; Township of Moorestown Community of Churches; Chairman, Moorestown Ministerium; Chaplain, Moorestown Fire Department; Youth Activities Council Advisory Board; Moorestown Ecumenical Neighborhood Development (M.E.N.D.); Governor's Commission on Aging; Burlington County Office of Aging Advisory Committee. Additionally, during his summers in New Hampshire, he was moderator of the Randolph Church, Randolph, New Hampshire. and Chaplain with the Androscoggin Valley Hospital, Berlin, New Hampshire.

After the Reverend Mr. Weatherly and his wife moved to Charlottesville in 1999, he was active in diverse fields of community service, including serving as Founder and first Chairman, Clergy and Laity United For Justice and Peace. He also volunteered as a Teacher's Assistant with "at-risk" students at Charlottesville High School, was a Census Enumerator, served Red Cross Emergency Services and was a Patient Advocate with Martha Jefferson Hospital.

His family wishes to thank Dr. Gordon Morris and his staff at Martha Jefferson Hospital, and the staff of Hospice of the Piedmont for their compassionate care.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to any of the following, Hospice of the Piedmont, Charlottesville, Virginia; Randolph Church Benevolence Fund, Randolph, NH 03573; or the Book of Remembrance, Trinity Church, 207 West Main Street, Moorestown, NJ 08057.

A memorial service will be held at the Church of our Saviour, Rio Road, Charlottesville, Virginia, 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 15, 2009.


This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.