Richard L. Fenn's Obituary
The Reverend Richard L. Fenn died at the age of 88 on May 25, 2022 at Shell Point Retirement Community, Ft. Myers, FL.
Father Fenn was born in Cleveland, OH on March 2, 1934 the son of Fred M. and Sarah Lewis Fenn. Raised in Bay Village, OH, he graduated from Bay High School in 1953 and Kenyon College in 1957. Upon graduating, he joined the US Air Force where he spent 4 years doing counter-intelligence work, 2 of them at the US Embassy in Manila, the Philippines. From there he entered the Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, MA graduating in 1964 and ordained to the priesthood. He also did post-graduate work at Oxford University in England. From seminary he served churches in Pittsfield and Wilbraham, MA before moving to Jamestown, NY where he was rector of St. Luke’s Church for 22 years. He said that he was one of those fortunate people whose job was always a source of great satisfaction and pleasure.
While in Jamestown, a group of clergy friends saw a need for hungry folks to receive a free hot meal and St. Susan’s Soup Kitchen was born. He was a founder of the Jamestown Community Learning Council and helped create a Safe House for runaway young people. He was also a board member of the James Pendergast Library and the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System and many other community organizations. During his tenure, St. Luke’s Church opened a community Thrift Store which is still going strong. He also served on various diocesan committees.
He had the most wonderful sense of humor, was always ready with a joke or two, could spin a tale (true or not) always with a broad smile and a twinkle in his eye. He was a voracious reader of, well, everything, a strong supporter of his beloved Kenyon College and he loved his pipes, which were always lit either between his teeth or in his hand.
In 1999 he retired, with his wife, Marcia, to a small bungalow on Martha’s Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts where they lived until 2020. With need of more care they moved, in the early months of Covid, to a continuing care retirement community in Ft. Myers, FL.
Surviving are his wife, Marcia (Sullivan) Fenn, sons Gregory (Robyn) of Brockway, PA and Geoffrey (Catherine) of Williamsburg, VA and Edgartown, MA; grandchildren; Jamie of Aspen, CO; Caroline (Scott Matus) and Sarah of Washington, DC; Talley of Salt Lake City, UT; Grace and Geoffrey of Stuart, FL.
A memorial service is scheduled for 11:00 am on Friday, August 19, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 410 N. Main St., Jamestown, NY.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 410 N. Main St., Jamestown, NY 14701.
Funeral arrangements by Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, Fort Myers, FL.
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