Rev. James L. Gill Obituary (1929 - 2020)

EAST WINTHROP -- Rev. James L. Gill (Jim), 91, of Winthrop Center Road, died peacefully Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020, at his home. Jim was born on April 8, 1929, to William John Gill and Anna Marie (Stedenfeld) in Hillside, New Jersey. He was a 1951 Lehigh University graduate and received his Master of Sacred Theology at General Theological Seminary in New York City in 1954. He was ordained to the priesthood that same year. With a love for learning, Jim went on to receive two additional Master’s degrees. One in Cultural Anthropology from the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines in the 1960s and the other in Clinical Counseling from Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pa in 1989. Jim met his wife, Kay (Butler) while he was a young vicar at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Paramus, N.J. and they married in 1954. During his ministry, Jim and Kay spent 8 years (1960-1968) as missionaries in the Philippines along with their three children. His ministries included that of faculty member of St. Andrew’s Theological Seminary in Manila and worked on behalf of the joining ministries of the Philippine Episcopal and Philippine Independent Churches. Returning to the states, Jim served and led Episcopal congregations in Pennsylvania and Maine. In Easton, Pa., he was rector of Trinity Episcopal Church for 23 years (1968-1991). Shortly after moving to Maine in 1992, Jim acted as interim rector of Christ Church in Gardiner and later as vicar of St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Readfield. After retiring, he attended St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church (now in Winthrop) as well as Winthrop Center Friends (Quaker Meeting). Throughout his life, Jim cared greatly for the well-being of others and his community. Among other things, he helped to develop a center for teens facing addiction, was an active member of his city’s school board, served on the local hospital ethics committee, and taught courses for families of people with mental illness through NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness). Jim’s compassion and skills for others extended well into his eighties in his role as a marriage and family therapist. In Maine, Jim found a creative outlet in community theater, acting in many local venues. With his love for theater and opera, he was a season ticket holder of the Brunswick Music Theater and the Metropolitan Opera. He shared his love of traveling, often taking his children and grandchildren on special adventures around the world. Jim is survived by his son, James L. Gill, Jr. of East Winthrop; two daughters, Laura M. Gill, and Christina R. Gill-Lindsey and her husband, Ray, all of Winthrop; four grandchildren, Wes Slingland and Dana Slingland of Easton, Pa., Lizzie Kay, and Ben Lindsey and his wife, Ru Allen, all of Winthrop; seven great-grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews, and a bounty of friends. Due to the ongoing pandemic, there will be a private burial on December 6 at 2:00 officiated by Bishop Thomas Brown. A celebration of Jim’s life will be held at a safer time. Arrangements are in the care of Knowlton and Hewins Funeral Home, One Church Street, Augusta, ME. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family on the obituary page of the funeral home website at www.familyfirstfuneralhomes.com In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to NAMI Maine online at https://www.namimaine.org/donate or by check payable to: NAMI Maine and mailed to: NAMI Maine, 52 Water Street, Hallowell, ME 04347.