Obituary for Reverend Dr. Edward R. Dufresne
The Reverend Dr. Edward R. Dufresne
Penobscot, Maine
The Reverend Dr. Edward R. Dufresne died February 27, 2023. He was born in Springfield, MA., October 21, 1945 .
He was an ordained minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and served as a licensed priest of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine. He was Associate Pastor of St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Moorestown, NJ from 1975-78. Rev. Dufresne was a professor and Director of Internships and Clinical Pastoral Education at the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA from 1978 through 1981, where he taught courses on spirituality and ministry. He also taught biblical studies at Albright College, in Reading, PA.
Dr. Dufresne served for twelve years as senior pastor of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Bethlehem PA, and of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Easton, PA. Dr. Dufresne’s book, “Partnership: Marriage and the Committed Life,” published by Paulist Press, won the National Religious Book Award in 1975. He served as religion columnist for the Bethlehem PA Globe-Times, writing on the topic of spirituality and daily living, and was later a frequent contributor to media on the South Coast of Massachusetts.
He served as spiritual director at the Church Renewal Center at the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital in Allentown, PA. As a community leader from 1997 through 2005, Pastor Dufresne served as Executive Minister of the Inter-Church Council of Greater New Bedford, a collaborative of 45 congregations across the South Coast of Massachusetts, with nine community ministries and sixteen staff members. Pastor Dufresne pioneered programs for partnerships among community volunteers, government, education, law enforcement, hospitals, businesses, and the faith community.
In 2006, Pastor Dufresne began a ministry of consulting to congregations in crisis or transition. He provided services in conflict resolution, leadership development, mission planning and administrative best practices at Christ Lutheran Church, Falmouth, MA; House of Prayer Lutheran Church, Hingham, MA; Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Manchester, NH; Resurrection Lutheran Church, Roxbury, MA; and at St. Brendan the Navigator Episcopal Church in Deer Isle, ME.
Edward served as chaplain on international cruise ships from 2011 to the time of his death. There he found large congregations during the Christmas and Easter holidays, both passengers and crew. He particularly enjoyed the opportunity to work collaboratively with the protestant and Jewish chaplains onboard, often participating in each other’s services. Edward and Elizabeth travelled extensively during this ministry.
Edward studied in Paris in 1965 and 1966 and graduated from Holy Cross College, Worcester, MA with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1967 and was awarded a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship. In 1971, he received a Master of Divinity degree from Yale University. While studying at Yale Divinity School, Edward served as Chaplain to Graduate Students at St. Thomas More House, the Roman Catholic chaplaincy at Yale. In 1973, he received the Master of Sacred Theology degree from Yale for research and writing under the direction of Henri Nouwen. Dr. Dufresne received the Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1998 from the Graduate Theological Foundation, South Bend, IN. Canon Vincent Strudwick of Oxford University, UK, served as dissertation director.
Edward and Elizabeth moved to Penobscot on a full-time basis in 2011. Edward served the Penobscot Fire Department as chaplain. Edward was a member of the Board of Directors of the Blue Hill Library where he chaired the Strategic Planning Committee. He loved living by the Bagaduce River and the opportunities it provided for his many boating adventures.
Even in the midst of all of Edward’s accomplishments, the identity that was most central to his life was that of “beloved child of God.” It was this identity that brought him the deepest joy, and inspired him to live fully into the complexities, the ambiguities, the beauties, and the challenges of each day.
In the last two decades of his life, Edward’s joy was made complete through his relationship with his beloved wife Elizabeth, as together they made their home along the Bagaduce River in Penobscot, Maine. As Edward’s cancer progressed and his activities were diminished, he rejoiced in the natural beauty around him, in the support of his many friends, in the craft of writing, in the constant love of Elizabeth, and in the deep heartfelt knowledge that it was from that he had come and to love he would return.
Edward is predeceased by his parents, Michael P. Dufresne and Mary (Bowe) Dufresne of Springfield, Massachusetts. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth O’Neill LaStaiti; daughters: Aimee Reeder of Berkeley, California and Rachel Jones of Burke, Virginia; and grandchildren: Ruby Reeder and Jackson Jones. He is also survived by his siblings: Michael P. Dufresne, Jr. of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; Nancy Jockel of Brightwaters, NY; Richard Dufresne of Sharon, New Hampshire; Mary Callahan of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Christine Lovley of Wrentham, Massachusetts, and numerous nieces and nephews with whom he was very close.
The community is invited to a time of visitation from 1:00-3:00 on Sunday March 5 at St. Francis by the Sea Episcopal Church in Blue Hill. All are also invited to attend the Service of Burial, with Holy Eucharist, at 10:00 am on Monday morning, March 6, also at St. Francis. The Rt. Rev. Thomas Brown, Bishop of Maine, will preside, the Rev. Allan Sandlin, Interim Rector at St. Francis will assist, and the Rev. Elaine Hewes, Priest in Charge, St. Brendan’s, Deer Isle will preach. Donations may be made in thanksgiving for Edward to Lutheran World Relief, P.O. Box 17061, Baltimore, MD 21297-1061 or to the Blue Hill Public Library, 5 Parker Point Rd., Blue Hill, ME. 04614.
Condolences to the family may be expressed at BBrookingsSmith.com.
Penobscot, Maine
The Reverend Dr. Edward R. Dufresne died February 27, 2023. He was born in Springfield, MA., October 21, 1945 .
He was an ordained minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and served as a licensed priest of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine. He was Associate Pastor of St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Moorestown, NJ from 1975-78. Rev. Dufresne was a professor and Director of Internships and Clinical Pastoral Education at the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, PA from 1978 through 1981, where he taught courses on spirituality and ministry. He also taught biblical studies at Albright College, in Reading, PA.
Dr. Dufresne served for twelve years as senior pastor of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Bethlehem PA, and of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Easton, PA. Dr. Dufresne’s book, “Partnership: Marriage and the Committed Life,” published by Paulist Press, won the National Religious Book Award in 1975. He served as religion columnist for the Bethlehem PA Globe-Times, writing on the topic of spirituality and daily living, and was later a frequent contributor to media on the South Coast of Massachusetts.
He served as spiritual director at the Church Renewal Center at the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital in Allentown, PA. As a community leader from 1997 through 2005, Pastor Dufresne served as Executive Minister of the Inter-Church Council of Greater New Bedford, a collaborative of 45 congregations across the South Coast of Massachusetts, with nine community ministries and sixteen staff members. Pastor Dufresne pioneered programs for partnerships among community volunteers, government, education, law enforcement, hospitals, businesses, and the faith community.
In 2006, Pastor Dufresne began a ministry of consulting to congregations in crisis or transition. He provided services in conflict resolution, leadership development, mission planning and administrative best practices at Christ Lutheran Church, Falmouth, MA; House of Prayer Lutheran Church, Hingham, MA; Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Manchester, NH; Resurrection Lutheran Church, Roxbury, MA; and at St. Brendan the Navigator Episcopal Church in Deer Isle, ME.
Edward served as chaplain on international cruise ships from 2011 to the time of his death. There he found large congregations during the Christmas and Easter holidays, both passengers and crew. He particularly enjoyed the opportunity to work collaboratively with the protestant and Jewish chaplains onboard, often participating in each other’s services. Edward and Elizabeth travelled extensively during this ministry.
Edward studied in Paris in 1965 and 1966 and graduated from Holy Cross College, Worcester, MA with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1967 and was awarded a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship. In 1971, he received a Master of Divinity degree from Yale University. While studying at Yale Divinity School, Edward served as Chaplain to Graduate Students at St. Thomas More House, the Roman Catholic chaplaincy at Yale. In 1973, he received the Master of Sacred Theology degree from Yale for research and writing under the direction of Henri Nouwen. Dr. Dufresne received the Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1998 from the Graduate Theological Foundation, South Bend, IN. Canon Vincent Strudwick of Oxford University, UK, served as dissertation director.
Edward and Elizabeth moved to Penobscot on a full-time basis in 2011. Edward served the Penobscot Fire Department as chaplain. Edward was a member of the Board of Directors of the Blue Hill Library where he chaired the Strategic Planning Committee. He loved living by the Bagaduce River and the opportunities it provided for his many boating adventures.
Even in the midst of all of Edward’s accomplishments, the identity that was most central to his life was that of “beloved child of God.” It was this identity that brought him the deepest joy, and inspired him to live fully into the complexities, the ambiguities, the beauties, and the challenges of each day.
In the last two decades of his life, Edward’s joy was made complete through his relationship with his beloved wife Elizabeth, as together they made their home along the Bagaduce River in Penobscot, Maine. As Edward’s cancer progressed and his activities were diminished, he rejoiced in the natural beauty around him, in the support of his many friends, in the craft of writing, in the constant love of Elizabeth, and in the deep heartfelt knowledge that it was from that he had come and to love he would return.
Edward is predeceased by his parents, Michael P. Dufresne and Mary (Bowe) Dufresne of Springfield, Massachusetts. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth O’Neill LaStaiti; daughters: Aimee Reeder of Berkeley, California and Rachel Jones of Burke, Virginia; and grandchildren: Ruby Reeder and Jackson Jones. He is also survived by his siblings: Michael P. Dufresne, Jr. of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; Nancy Jockel of Brightwaters, NY; Richard Dufresne of Sharon, New Hampshire; Mary Callahan of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Christine Lovley of Wrentham, Massachusetts, and numerous nieces and nephews with whom he was very close.
The community is invited to a time of visitation from 1:00-3:00 on Sunday March 5 at St. Francis by the Sea Episcopal Church in Blue Hill. All are also invited to attend the Service of Burial, with Holy Eucharist, at 10:00 am on Monday morning, March 6, also at St. Francis. The Rt. Rev. Thomas Brown, Bishop of Maine, will preside, the Rev. Allan Sandlin, Interim Rector at St. Francis will assist, and the Rev. Elaine Hewes, Priest in Charge, St. Brendan’s, Deer Isle will preach. Donations may be made in thanksgiving for Edward to Lutheran World Relief, P.O. Box 17061, Baltimore, MD 21297-1061 or to the Blue Hill Public Library, 5 Parker Point Rd., Blue Hill, ME. 04614.
Condolences to the family may be expressed at BBrookingsSmith.com.