Allen Myrick

1930 - 2020

Myrick, Allen
Allen Myrick, the son of Kenneth and Hester Eppens Myrick, was born in Cambridge, MA on July 29, 1930, passed away on December 20, 2020. He grew up in Medford, MA, where he attended public schools. He graduated from Phillips Academy, Andover, MA in 1948; from Harvard College in 1952, and from Union Theological Seminary, New York City in 1955. He was married to Judith Cross in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1954.
After seminary, and inspired by a speech by given at Columbia University by Alan Paton, the Myricks spent a year in South Africa studying race relations and visiting mission work. This led to their appointment in 1957 as missionaries in South Africa under the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (Congregational), where Allen taught in theological schools in Modderpoort and Alice from 1958 to 1968. During a furlough in 1962 he earned a Master of Theology degree in Old Testament from Harvard Divinity School.
In 1968 the Myricks returned to the US, where he served as minister of the Whitneyville Congregational Church, Hamden, CT from 1968 to 1975, and of the United Church of Christ of Kent, OH from 1975 to 1984. In 1984 the Myricks were again appointed to missionary service by the United Church of Christ, and worked in the newly independent country of Zimbabwe, where Allen did lay training work and local parish ministry from 1984 to 1994. In 1994 they retired, living first in Minnesota and then in Brattleboro, VT. In 2014 the Myricks moved to Covenant Village of Cromwell, CT.
In retirement, Allen has volunteered with various local organizations, including Brattleboro Area Affordable Housing, Brattleboro Pastoral Counseling Center and Brattleboro Justice Center. He was an active member of Centre Congregational Church, Brattleboro and since 2016 a member of First Church of Christ, Middletown, CT.
Allen was a loving, compassionate man who was well-known for his global perspective, deep interest in world history, and a life-long commitment to justice making. Altogether, Allen and Judith spent 21 years in Africa working for the church and for racial justice, and Allen followed politics and race relations in southern Africa for the rest of his life. He was an avid reader, led many theological study and prayer groups, and was a leader amongst ministers.
Allen is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Judith Myrick, and his three children, Becky Myrick, Helen Davis and her husband Dale, and Philip Myrick and his wife Thea, as well as six grandchildren, Jessie Myrick, Krista Maruca, Hannah Davis, Cameron Davis, Alyona Myrick & Denis Myrick.
He is survived by three sisters, Katherine Mulhern, Helen LaFleur, & Debbie Martin.
Gifts may be made in his memory to Wider Church Ministries, United Church of Christ, 700 Prospect Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115. To share memories or send condolences to the family, please visit www.doolittlefuneralservice.com.