Rev. George Lewis Blackman

The Reverend George L. Blackman of Chichester NH died on Wednesday, June 23, 2010. He was 90. George was Rector of the Church of Our Saviour in Brookline, MA for 30 years. After he retired in 1987 and moved to the family homestead in Chichester he continued to preach, take services and occasionally serve as interim at churches in the NH Episcopal Diocese. He was known for his compassionate, pastoral counseling and his eloquent, extemporaneous sermons. For many years he was also active in the Concord Victorian Society's Gilbert & Sullivan productions as both director and actor. The eldest son of Floyd and Helen Blackman, George grew up in Brookline, Ma and loved his summers spent in Chichester. He graduated from Harvard in 1941 and then served as a lieutenant on a sub chaser in the Pacific in WWII. His war experiences led him to choose ministry in the Episcopal Church. He graduated from the Episcopal Theological School in 1948 and received his Ph.D in Church History from Emmanuel College, Cambridge (U.K.) in 1953. It was while studying in England that he met and married Maeve Hardie from Glasgow, Scotland. They were married in 1952. Over the next four years, he taught history at EDS and at Emmanuel College where he became one of the few Americans to be elected a Fellow of the College. In 1957 he answered a call to the Church of Our Saviour. He was also a lecturer and author. Faith and Freedom, his history of U.S. theological education was published in 1957. He was a President of the English Speaking Union, an elected Brookline Town Meeting Member and Chairman of Commissions on Aging and Human Relations. He helped organize and lead the Diocese of Massachusetts contingent that participated in the famous Civil Rights March from Selma in 1965. His spiritual vision, deep compassion and his sense of humor and infectious laugh will always be cherished by all who knew him. In all things he was partnered and supported by Maeve, his loving wife. In addition to her, he is survived by his brother, Arthur, four sons, Harry, Tony, Hamish and Ian and seven grandchildren.

Memorial Services will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Centre Street, Concord, NH on Saturday, July 10, 2010 at 12:00 p.m. and at the Church of Our Saviour sometime later in the summer

No flowers please, donations may be sent to either St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Centre Street, Concord, NH 03301 or to the Church of our Saviour, 23 Monmouth Street, Brookline, MA. 02446 or to The Alzheimer's Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Ave, 7th floor, New York , NY 10001.

The Bennett Funeral Home, Concord, NH is in charge of arrangements.