MANITO ~ Rev. James Park McClarey, 88, a resident of The Lodge at Manito and a longtime United Methodist Pastor, passed away at 8:52 a.m. Thursday, December 30, 2021 in the emergency department of UnityPoint Health in Pekin.
Born August 10, 1933 in Viola, Tennessee to Rev. James O and Ruth (Park) McClarey, he married Antionette Kay Eastin on June 23, 1957 in Girard. She died October 30, 2016 in Decatur. He also was preceded in death by his parents and one infant daughter, Jeannie McClarey.
Surviving are one daughter, Jan (Keven) Haggerty of McHenry; one son, Rev. James C. “Jim” (Lisa) McClarey of Pekin; four grandchildren, Ashley (Ryan) Oberhuber of Woodstock, Sarah McClarey of Hoffman Estates, Rachel (Jason) Paetow of Naperville and Eric (Maggie) McClarey of Jacksonville; ten great-grandchildren; one sister, Mary Fairfield of Tucson, Arizona and one brother, John (Carole) McClarey of Decatur.
Jim attended Blackburn College in Carlinville and was a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology. He then graduated from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, with his Master of Divinity Degree.
He was ordained an Elder in the Methodist Church in 1962 and first served a three point charge in Rural-Hettick-Scottville. He next served in Robinson Creek and Tower Hill. He was then appointed an associate pastor at Mattoon First and then held appointments to serve at Forsyth, Pekin Grace and then Quincy Union. He also served at Shelbyville First and then Lincoln First and finally at Champaign First, where he retired from fulltime ministry in 1996. In retirement, Jim served interim pastorates at Watseka, Catlin, St. Joseph, Urbana First, Mahomet and at Sydney United Church. As a former resident of the Primrose Retirement Community in Decatur, Jim and his wife were founders of a Sunday afternoon chapel service in the spring of 2015. He also published a book to reach people who had intellectual questions about faith called, “Judging Jesus: Making Right Judgments about What to Believe” in 2018. He enjoyed being a part of the congregation at First United Methodist Church in Pekin, where his son currently serves as the directing Pastor.
Jim was a sports guy and played softball and tennis even late in life. He was an avid reader and also a builder. He enjoyed building furniture and play houses for several of his grandchildren. While serving as a pastor at Champaign First United Methodist Church in the 1990’s, Jim took great pride in serving with Religious Leaders for Community Care in Champaign, an organization that was concerned with eliminating racism. He also was a former Rotarian and Kiwanian.
His memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 8, 2022 at First United Methodist Church in Pekin. The Rev. Mary Kathryn Pearce and Rev. Bradley Watkins will officiate. Visitation will be held one hour before the service at the church. Private inurnment will be in Graceland Cemetery in Decatur at a later date. Arrangements have been entrusted to Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Preacher’s Aid Society, P.O. Box 19207, Springfield, IL 62711 or to First United Methodist Church Transportation Ministry, 1315 Court Street, Pekin, IL 61554.
To express condolences online, visit www.preston-hanley.com
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