Obituaries

Pamela McBeth

Pamela McBeth, an active worker in the church at the parish, diocesan, national and international levels, died last October of Alzheimer’s disease. She was 70.

Born Alice Pamela Thompson in Antigua, she studied at the London College of Music and the Royal Drawing Society in London.

She married John McBeth in 1950 and they lived in Barbados, Puerto Rico and Venezuela, where Mrs. McBeth became involved in teaching and church planting. They emigrated to Canada in 1972, and she became involved with the parish of St. Andrew and St. Mark, Dorval, Que. She held various offices in the diocese of Montreal.

At the national church, she was a member of the National Executive Council (now the Council of General Synod), a member of the program committee and chair of the Partners in World Mission unit. In 1992, she received the Anglican Award of Merit.

Her obituary notice in the journal of the Anglican church in Brazil described her as a “great friend” of the church in Latin America and said she was dedicated to the poor and to human rights.

She leaves her husband and her son, Brian.

Staff

William Hemmerick

Canon William Hemmerick, who served as chancellor of the diocese of Toronto for 17 years, died in November in North York, Ont. at the age of 73.

In addition to maintaining a law practice, he was an accomplished musician, proficient with the trumpet and valve trombone. He served as church warden at the parish of St. John’s, York Mills, Ont.

Mr. Hemmerick was also a member of the diocesan executive committee for many years and a delegate to General Synod. He was named a lay canon of St. James’ Cathedral, Toronto, and received the degree Doctor of Sacred Letters. He also founded the Canadian Ecclesiastical Law Association and became the editor of its journal.

Staff

Diodoros I

Jerusalem

ENI – One of Jerusalem’s most prominent religious leaders, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, died in December.

Diodoros I was the head of one of the four ancient patriarchates of the Orthodox Church, leading his flock of about 100,000 Christians, mainly Palestinians, in Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories.

His Jerusalem patriarchate, although small, is considered one of the most important offices in the Orthodox Christian world because of its historic control over some of the most sacred sites in Christianity.

Although Diodoros was a strong leader for most of his two decades as head of the Jerusalem church, observers said his influence waned in his final years because of illness.

His peers considered him a leading player in efforts to bring peace to the Holy Land.