Perry Eugene Kidder

A minister, pastoral counselor, and psychotherapist who touched innumerable lives, Rev. Perry Eugene ("Gene") Kidder, passed away on November 14, 2018. Ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), he served minority congregations in New Haven and St. Louis before assuming the position of Associate Minister of Youth and Pastoral Counseling at University Christian Church in Seattle from 1960 to 1968. He maintained an active role in the congregation for the rest of his life. From 1968 to 1972 he co-founded and directed the Pastoral Institute of Washington, a therapeutic, continuing education, and consultation center for the clergy of all types (a mission carried forward today by Seattle University's School of Theology and Ministry). He became a counselor in private practice beginning in 1972, where he specialized in marriage counseling and group therapy, often in partnership with his wife, Barbara Kidder, M.A. In all of these roles he has brought inspiration, guidance, healing, and many kinds of joy to those who were fortunate enough to know him and work with him.

Born in 1928 to Perry Elwood Kidder and Marion Louise Canfield Kidder, Eugene was, as a young man, a standout trumpeter in the Seattle Youth Symphony, but after graduating from the University of Washington, chose the ministry over a career in music, earning his Masters of Divinity at Yale University and meeting his wife during his period of study there. In his further professional development, he became a graduate of the Marriage Counseling and Training Program of the Karl Menninger School of Psychiatry, a Diplomate in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, and a Certified Group Psychotherapist with the American Group Psychotherapy Association, for which he served a term as a regional president.

A lifelong lover of classical and sacred music, Eugene was an active supporter of Orchestra Seattle/Seattle Chamber Singers and, after a fifty-year absence, took up the trumpet again to play with the Seattle Symphonic Band. He retained, throughout his life, a love of English literature, particularly Shakespeare and contemporary poetry. He cultivated roses and grew a stunning collection of bonsai trees. He was active in maintaining the health of Thornton Creek in North Seattle, advocating for daylighting the portion that now runs by the Aljoya retirement community where he has lived in recent months. He was known for his love of celebrations, his colorful clothing, his riotous, infectious laughter--but most of all, for the exceptional quality of love and care that he brought to every human interaction.

Eugene is survived by wife Barbara, four children (Marie, Paul, David, and Michael), five grandchildren (Stephanie, Andrea, Marcus, Ben, and Jane), and Samson the Wonder Cat.

A memorial is planned for mid-January, 2019. Further details will be forthcoming. In lieu of flowers, donations are welcomed for Orchestra Seattle/Seattle Chamber Singers or The Reverend Eugene Kidder Endowed Scholarship for Pastoral Counseling at Seattle University's School of Theology and Ministry.