Rev. Canon James P. Dalton-Thompson

The Rev. Canon James P. Dalton-Thompson Rector of the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin
FALMOUTH -- The Rev. Canon James Dalton-Thompson, Rector of the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin in Falmouth since 2005, died Wednesday, Dec. 1 in a New Hampshire hospital after a short battle with cancer. He had recently turned 60 years old.
Father Dalton-Thompson had a remarkable impact on Saint Mary's and the community in his five short years there, and his sudden loss leaves behind a grieving parish family. His profound faith, his wit, his unconditional love, and his joie de vivre graced the lives of all who knew him.
Father James, as he was known to his parishioners, arrived at Saint Mary's in November, 2005. He quickly became enamored of his adopted state of Maine and put down roots very quickly. His preaching immediately drew new members to the Parish. His ever-present smile, constant enthusiasm, and keen mind - along with his incredible facility to learn everyone's name upon first greeting, endeared him to Saint Mary's parishioners.
Father James knew he wanted to be a priest from the age of seven. He was baptized at the age of 15 when he found a little Episcopal Church down the road from his home where, as he described it, his 'love affair' with the Episcopal Church began. After graduating from the University of Michigan and obtaining a Master of Arts in French from Middlebury College, he graduated from the Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Mass. with a Master of Divinity Degree.
Before coming to Saint Mary's in 2005, Father James served as Rector at Church of the Ascension in Rockville Center, N.Y. He served from 1987-1995 as the Rector of St. Matthew's Church, in Woodhaven, Queens, N.Y. He had also served from 1985-1987 as the Director of Campus Ministries and Chaplain at Choate Rosemary Hall, Wallingford, Conn. From 1983-1985, he was a Curate at Saint Gabriel's Church in Hollis, N.Y., where he also served as Chaplain of The Woodhull School. Before training to be a minister, he was a teacher, serving as chairman of the Foreign Languages and Classics Department at the Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Throughout his adult life, there was no place James would rather be than at the Altar, surrounded by a parish family. Father James was an inspirational speaker and a remarkable power of example as a man of faith. But there was more to his life than liturgy: He loved to laugh out loud, to sing, to play the piano and organ. He loved gardening and taking long walks. He was a gourmet cook and loved having people over for dinner. He adored language. He spoke French fluently and was one of the translators and editors of Le Livre de la Priere Commune, the French-language edition of The Book of Common Prayer.
Father James loved children and,
although he had no children of
Rev. Canon James P. Dalton-Thompson
his own, he had 19 godchildren and drew each and every child in his parish to his heart. In his ministry at Saint Mary's, he took special interest in working with young people, and he brought great focus to the Church's youth education program. Early on, he described the purpose of this program as 'helping the children to know joy, to love to come to church, to feel a sense of belonging which is theirs by right, and not something they need to grow into in order to claim.' He wrote many special Children's Liturgies. Last summer, he donned a heavy space suit to appear as Commander James at the Galactic Blast Vacation Bible School.
Father James had been appointed Canon Precentor to the Cathedral Church of St. Luke in Portland in October, 2009, by Bishop Stephen Lane. He was very active in diocesan affairs, including the Committee on Holy Orders. He was quietly supportive of his fellow Episcopal clergy members throughout the state. He was also deeply committed to the importance of the Church's ministry in the community, and he was a steadfast presence on the Saint Mary's Outreach Committee. He conducted services at Falmouth by the Sea. He was a dedicated volunteer at the Preble Street Soup Kitchen, where he would help serve lunch with other volunteers from the church. He took on that task with his usual enthusiasm, often striking up conversations with the guests there. He was an ardent supporter of the S. Mary's 'Souper Supper,' a bi-monthly free dinner offered to the community. Father James also worked on projects for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland. A strong believer in ecumenism, he participated in the Falmouth Ecumenical Network, working closely with other ministers in town. Deeply interested in music, he was a founding board member of the St. Mary's Schola, a professional early music ensemble.
Father James is survived by his sister, Holly Molinaro, and her husband, Al Molinaro, of New Hampshire; his niece, Alyssa, of New Hampshire, and nephew, Rocky, of Nevada; as well as a cousin, George Metelski, of Detroit, Mich.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke in Portland on Monday, Dec. 6 at 11 a.m. followed by Committal in the Churchyard at St. Mary's.
Arrangements are under the guidance of Independent Death Care, 660 Brighton Avenue, Portland. To offer words of condolence, sign a guest book and share memories, go to the obituary page at www.independentdeathcare.com.
In lieu of flowers, donation made be made in his honor to:
Habitat for Humanity, Int'l.
121 Habitat St.
Americus, GA 31709 or
Best Friends Animal Society
5001 Angle Canyon Rd.
Kanab, Utah, 84741