Reverend Emery Washington Sr.

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Emery Washington Obituary

Name: Memorial service for Reverend Emery Washington Sr.
Start: 2015-10-17T21:00:00.000Z
Location: Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion

Washington Sr., Reverend Emery Memorial Service for The Reverend Emery Washington, Sr. will be Saturday, October 17, 2015 at 4pm at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion 7401 Delmar Blvd. in University City, MO. In lieu of flowers, a memorial contribution should be made to the church. William C. Harris Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.

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Published by St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Oct. 16, 2015.

Memories and Condolences
for Emery Washington

Sponsored by William C. Harris Funeral Directors - Spanish Lake Chapel.

1 Entry

Chester Hines

October 16, 2015

Friday, October 16, 2015

Remembering The Reverend Doctor Emery Washington, Sr.

With great sadness and a humble heart I share with you my sincere feelings of sympathy and loss at the death of The Reverend Doctor Emery Washington, Sr. I offer special prayers for Alice, his daughters and son and his immediate family of grandchildren and in-laws.

I first met Father Washington when he arrived in St. Louis as the rector of All Saints Episcopal Church; that was more than thirty years ago. Within two years after his arrival we began the journey of working to dismantle racism in the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri. He was a committed and stalwart member of the Commission from its inception. It was his recommendation to the Bishop Rockwell, then bishop of the diocese that a commission be formed to both elevate and advance the work of the group that had initially determined that it was good, right and appropriate that this work be done in this diocese.

His commitment was evident in consistent attendance and participation as monthly meetings of the Commission, participation in all programs offered by the Commission and taking leadership on implementing programs of the Commission especially his effort to get the Seeking Our Past: Creating Our Future program started. He was highly regarded and well respected for all of his efforts to dismantle racism throughout the diocese. I recently had a conversation with a clergy person in our diocese who indicated she had a very difficult time understanding how she lived in a community of white privilege but it was through her continuing conversations with Father Washington that she was able to begin to see her privilege. He was with her as he always was, kind and gentle with the spirit but firm and educational with the intellect. He was with her as he was with all whom he worked with and encountered.

I can recall the many stories he would share with the Commission regarding his personal and extended experiences with issues of race and racism in his life. Sometimes just listening to what happened to him would just affirm for me that the work being done by the Commission was absolutely necessary; sometimes the stories would be just informative and interesting; sometimes his stories would make my insides churn and tumble with great anger and disgust. But listening to him tell the story there was never any animosity, overt anger, hostility or apparent hatred. He knew he had been wronged by community and society but his response seemed to be to pray, forgive and seek a better tomorrow. Clearly he was affected by the circumstances and challenges he faced in our world of racial discord and hatred but he seemed to be able to rise above the ravages of the discontent and stay focused on the effort to get us all to God's kingdom.

On a more personal note, words will never be able to express my sincere thanks and appreciation for the many, many hours of personal engagement I was able to share with Father Washington. He was my priest, fellow Commission member, friend, confidant, fellow clergy brother, and a great personal example of manhood and uplift to my two sons and the religious leader and teacher for my entire family. He was always available for each of us in my immediate and extended family.

Father Washington was a gentleman of the highest order. He had the ability to meet the corporate executives of the community and sit on highway 70 in protest with the grass roots protestors. He was forthright and honest in all things and a welcome voice of wisdom wherever he served. We were last together in August at men's prayer group at Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion and then at the commission meeting at Trinity Episcopal Church in the Central West End. He was fully engaged and eager to participate in both meetings; he was resolute yet faced his mortality with a grace and dignity. He provided me and others an example of how to without regret, fear or reservation to walk through the door of everlasting life into the Kingdom of God, having lived a life filled with the love of Jesus Christ.

Respectfully submitted,
The Reverend Chester Hines, Jr.
Deacon, Christ Church Cathedral
Chairperson, Episcopal Diocese of Missouri Commission on Dismantling Racism