The Very Rev. Kyle St. Claire died peacefully Sunday, March 26 at his home surrounded by his family following a long battle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He was 77 years old.
He is survived by Tam (Teresa) St. Claire, his wife of 50 years, their son, Dr. Elbert K. St. Claire III, daughter-in-law, Jennifer L. Achilles, and grandchildren, Kara S. Achilles and Molly A. St. Claire, of New York City, and their daughter, Ann W. St. Claire, son-in-law, Barry W. Dehlin, and grandchildren, Elise S. Dehlin and Paige D. St. Claire, of Dresher, Pa. He is also survived by his sister, Alice P. St. Claire, brother-in-law, David A. Long, of Princeton, N.J., and niece, Clarissa E. Long, of Brooklyn, N.Y.
Kyle was a graduate of Haverford College, 1968, Episcopal Theological School, Mdiv, 1971, Yale Divinity School, STM, 1974, and Temple University, MBA, 1982.
Kyle was ordained a deacon in 1971, and priest in 1972 in the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania. Most of his active ministry was in the Diocese of Pennsylvania; starting as rector of Holy Trinity Lansdale in 1976. His longest tenure was at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, in New Hope, Pa., where he served from 1983 to 2005. During that time, he was elected dean of the Bucks County Episcopal Church and was a member of the Dean’s Council for two terms.
He served on the Diocesan Council, and for several years was active on the Diocesan Addictions and Recovery committee. While he was chairman, the group won an award from the National Episcopal Coalition of Alcohol and Drug services for its innovative parishes programs.
Throughout his life, Kyle read broadly on topics such as theology, psychology, literature, history, science, fantasy, poetry and Native American culture. He had an extensive library both on his shelves and virtually. He met once monthly for years with colleagues to exchange reviews and ideas.
During his career, Kyle counseled alcoholics and drug addicts and conducted many weekend retreats in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He had several sponsors and sponsored many in recovery. While at St. Philip’s, he worked part time at the Bucks County Council on Alcohol and Drugs as an employee assistance counselor and prevention specialist.
After he retired in 2010, Kyle continued to serve the Diocese of Pennsylvania in a number of interim jobs including the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation in Morrisville, Pa., and St. Andrew’s In-The-Field in the Somerton part of Philadelphia while the parishes searched for new rectors.
Kyle loved vacationing with his family. In the 1980s, he was appointed to summer chaplaincies in Maine, which afforded him and his family a one month stay in a summer rectory. They enjoyed getting to know other vacationing families and Maine locals. One place was Biddeford Pool, Maine.; the other was on McMahan Island further north. He conducted services on Sunday morning and spent the rest of his time exploring the coast and the islands.
After the marriages of his children, Kyle’s extended family vacationed throughout the USA. Four families (12 people) would gather at a house for a week, share expenses and the cooking, and take day trips to sites in the area. There were stays in San Diego, Calif.; Poconos, Pa.; Glen Arbor, Mich.; Ocean City, Md.; Seattle, Wash.; Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.; Outer Banks, N.C.; Yosemite, Calif.; Lake Tahoe, N.V.; Washington, D.C.; Finger Lakes, N.Y.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Lake George, N.Y.; and Shenandoah, Va. One year, Kyle and his family took a cruise along the Alaska coast followed by a scenic train ride from Anchorage to Denali National Park. On most family trips, he would fish, often teaching his grandchildren how to bait their hooks and catch fish themselves.
Additionally, Kyle traveled with his wife, Tam, on a railway adventure in Western Canada. Another year, he and Tam spent a couple weeks in Arizona, visiting the Grand Canyon and Canyon de Chelly National Monuments. In their early marriage, Kyle and Tam visited Saint Martin for their honeymoon, and trolled for fish in Lake Champlain, N.Y.
During retirement, Kyle wrote two books. One was a collection of poems and short stories. The other was a novella about traveling and the spiritual adventures of two people finding themselves in the American Southwest and in affluent Connecticut town. He painted the beauty of Bucks County in water colors and created some avant-garde sculptures with books.
One of Kyle’s slogans was “Amor deus, amor fatum, amor creare,” a saying from Latin meaning “Love God, love your fate, love to create.” He sought moments of awakening and used these experiences to create an active ministry, meaningful relationships, living art, paintings and fiction.
In the end, Kyle was a faithful man who valued kindness and connection. He was loved by all those who had the privilege to meet him. He was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in late 2019 and bravely prepared for and faced the disease that ultimately claimed his life and released him from this earth. His spirit lives on in us. He will be greatly missed.
In lieu of flowers and gifts, contributions can be made to Episcopal Relief and Development (https://www.episcopalrelief.org/), PlanUSA (https://www.planusa.org/), or Trinity Buckingham Episcopal Church (https://www.trinitybuckingham.org/). Episcopal Relief and Development is an international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church. Plan USA is an international development and humanitarian nonprofit that partners with girls and their communities to fight for girls’ rights and end gender inequality.
A memorial service for Kyle St. Claire will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church, Buckingham, Pa., on Saturday, April 22, 2023 at 2 p.m. The interment of the ashes will be held privately at a later date.
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