Howard Ronald Whitebred

Born September 9, 1932, in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, to Howard Thome Whitebred and Marie Henrietta (Klotz) Whitebred. He was baptized at Diamond Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church. He attended the Hazleton public schools through the fourth grade then was accepted to Girard College Military Preparatory School, Philadelphia, PA, in September 1941. Ron graduated from Girard College in January 1950. One year later, in 1951, he joined the U.S. Air Force and served with the Third Air Rescue Group in Japan and Korea. He served until 1953 and was honorably discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant.

From 1953-1955, Ron attended Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina. He later went on to earn a Master of Divinity degree from Lancaster Theological Seminary in Lancaster, PA (1955-1958). During his time at the Seminary, he was awarded the Schaff Prize in Church History and Second Spessard Prize in Christology. He continued his education at Charter Oak College in Hartford, Conn., where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1963. Still not finished, Ron took his education as far as Vienna, Austria, at the International Ecumenical Institute in 1977 and ultimately to Andover Newton Theological School where he acquired his Doctor of Ministry degree in May 1985.

Ron began his pastoral career at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Lansdale, PA, in 1958. He then served as Pastor at First United Church of Christ in Palmerton, PA (1960-65). He spent 14 years as Associate Pastor at First Church of Christ in Wethersfield, Conn., before moving on to becoming Senior Pastor at St. Peter’s United Church of Christ in Washington, MO (1979-81). He ended his career as Pastor at the Congregational Church in Hollis, New Hampshire, (1981-89).

In September 1954, Ron married Dorothy June Hawke, who sadly passed away in 1987. Ron and June have two daughters, Alison Kay of Brookline, NH, and Gretchen Blythe of Washington, MO. Alison and her husband, Clyde Ferrell, have three children, Todd (Kaitlin), Brett (Nicole) and Kurt Ferrell. Gretchen married Thomas Farrell and they have three children, Jonathan (Anne), Elizabeth (Daniel Garcia) and Katherine Farrell. Ron is also survived by five wonderful great-grandchildren, Camden and Jackson Ferrell, Lucas and Ethan Farrell, and Natalie Garcia.

Ron and Kathleen Ann Souza were later married in April 1999. They spent the last 22 happy years together in South Chatham, MA.

Ron was very involved with many organizations throughout his life. He was a member of the First Night in Chatham, the Chatham Drama Guild and he joined the Free Masons in 1995.

He had many special interests such as history, sailing, reading and antique collecting but he truly loved traveling, most especially to Germany, Austria, Italy, Egypt, Japan and Israel.

The family will hold a private memorial service. In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), www.aspca.org/ways-to-give.