The Rev. Dr. Richard Tudor
August 29, 1942 – January 20, 2023
The Rev. Dr. Richard B. Tudor died peacefully at home in Wentzville, Missouri on January 20, 2023.
Rich Tudor was born on August 29, 1942 in Little Rock, Arkansas, where his father, a medical officer in the United States Army, was stationed briefly at the beginning of WWII.
His formal education included a B.A. degree from the University of Kansas in Lawrence: the degree of M.Div. from the church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California: and a D.Min. degree from Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, Missouri.
Rich was ordained to the diaconate of the Episcopal Church on June 20,1971 and to the priesthood on May 3,1972, at St. George’s Episcopal Memorial Church.
During a career in parish ministry which spanned thirty-six years, he served as a curate at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Akron Ohio from 1971-1974, Rector of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Williston, North Dakota and Vicar of St. Michael & All Angel’s Episcopal Church in Cartwright, North Dakota from 1974-1989. In 1989, he accepted a call to become the rector of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Florissant, MO, and served there until 2008.
Rich went on to teach at the Episcopal School for Ministry in Webster Groves for several years and served as a supply priest at St. Vincent’s-in-the-Vineyard Episcopal Church in St. Genevieve and at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration in Lake St. Louis.
In 2014, Rich became an associate priest at Trinity Episcopal Church in St. Charles. He led Vestry retreats, organized youth activities, wrote weekly reflections for Trinity’s staff and congregation, preached regularly, and was a part of many other vital ministries in the life of the parish.
During his career in the Episcopal church, he was elected three times to be a Deputy to General Convention. In Missouri, he served as President of the Standing Committee in 1997. He was appointed Ecumenical Officer of the Diocese by Bishop Hayes Rockwell, a position he was extremely proud to have held. During his tenure as Ecumenical Officer, the Concordat of Full Communion with the ELCA was completed and celebrated at a service in the Washington National Cathedral on January 6 (the Feast of the Epiphany), 2001. He processed into the Cathedral with the Rev. John Mahs, Bishop of the Lutheran Central States Synod. Rich regarded his participation in the formation of this Concordat as one blow struck in opposition to the constant fragmentation of Western Christianity which has been occurring since the Protestant Reformation.
While in North Dakota, he was recruited by the North Dakota National Guard to serve as a chaplain. He was commissioned a 1st Lieutenant in the National Guard in 1982 and served in units in Minot and Bismarck. While a member of the NDNG (the Straight Arrows), he served in the 164th Combat Engineer Battalion headquartered in Minot, ND and the 164th Combat Engineer Group in Bismarck, ND.. In 1989, he and his assistant were chosen the outstanding Reserve Component Unit Ministry Team in the United States Army.
In 1997, while serving as chaplain in the 6025 Garrison Support Unit, he was called to active duty and deployed to Germany for a year in support of Operation Joint Guard. He retired from the Army Reserve at age sixty in 2002 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He continued his involvement with the military after retirement through his work with the Missouri Military Funeral honors unit based at Jefferson Barrack. During that involvement, he participated in over 500 services of committal at the National Cemetery and other sites in St. Louis.
His other involvements included membership in the Blue Lodge, Scottish Rite and Shrine. He was a Past Master of Mt. Moriah #51 in Williston, ND. He was also a life member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks. He held memberships in the American Legion, the Military Officers Association of America, and the Association of the United States Army.
In a 2001 letter congratulating Rich on his 30th anniversary as a priest, Bishop Hays Rockwell wrote: “Yours is a work of serving, marked by authentic piety, deep thoughtfulness, a gentle pastoral sensibility, and an unwillingness to take yourself too seriously.
