The Venerable Morris E. Hollenbaugh of Oxford, Ohio, age 83, retired Archdeacon of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio, died December 18, 2006. He was born on May 5, 1923, in Mt. Gilead, Ohio, son of Fred and Mayme (Criswell) Hollenbaugh. He grew up in Delaware, Ohio, a 1941 graduate of Willis High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the South Pacific in the First Marine Air Wing as a radioman/gunner in PBY Catalina Flying Boats, SBD Divebombers and PBJ Mitchell Bombers in the Rabaul, Mariana Islands and Phillipine Campaigns. He was a 1949 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University where he was a member of Beta Theta Pi and Pi Sigma Alpha Honorary. After a successful business career, he entered Bexley Hall Episcopal Seminary in Gambier, Ohio. He was ordained a priest at age 40 in 1963. He served as an assistant at St. Andrew’s, Dayton, Ohio, Rector of St. Paul’s, Greenville, Ohio, and Rector of Trinity Church, Hamilton, Ohio. In 1977, he completed graduate research studies at Christ Church College, Oxford University, England. In 1987, he was appointed the Archdeacon of the Diocese of Southern Ohio. He was instrumental in developing the Hamilton Appalachian Peoples Service Organization, a church program designed to help Appalachian migrants in urban areas. He spent many years working in East Africa and Nigeria on special programs and projects. While Archdeacon, he created a Partner Diocese Program between Southern Ohio and the Dioceses of New Zealand and the Caribbean Windward Islands. After retirement, Archdeacon Hollenbaugh moved to Aspen, Colorado where he helped establish a new church in Basalt, Colorado, serving as Priestin-Charge for 10 years. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Phyllis, son Todd (Jill), daughter Leslie Ross (Peter), grandchildren Alexandra Ross (Evan Guthrie), Paul Ross, Dustin (Kirsten) and James (Jennifer) Kuykendoll, nephews Robert Hollenbaugh, and Bill Hollenbaugh.
Funeral services were held on Wednesday, December 27, 2006, at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Oxford, Ohio, at 11 am. Memorials may be made to St. Peter’s Church Building Fund, 200 Elk Run Drive, Basalt, Colorado 81621 or Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 25 East Walnut Street, Oxford, Ohio 45056.
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