The Rev. William N. Persing

08/12/2006

The Rev. William N. Persing, 78, of Garden St., Rocky Hill, Conn., formerly of West Stockbridge, died Saturday, Aug. 12, at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut. He was the former rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Hebron, Conn. Born May 29, 1928, in Penn Yan, N.Y., son of Dr. William and Dorothy Nichols Persing, he was raised in West Stockbridge and was a 1947 graduate of Williams High School in Stockbridge. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in English from Hobart and William Smith College in Geneva, N.Y., in 1951 and a master's degree in English from Columbia University in New York City in 1952. In 1960, he began his theological studies at the Berkley Divinity School in New Haven, Conn., earning his master's degree in divinity in 1963. He was then ordained as a deacon in the Protestant Episcopal Church in June 1963 and finally as a priest in March 1964. His formal service to the church started as curate of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Hartford, Conn., from 1963 through 1972. He was then named rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Hebron and served there until his retirement in 1995. He and his wife, the former Anne Smith, then became parishioners of Trinity Parish in Wethersfield, Conn., where he often performed services. Prior to that, from 1952 to 1960, he was employed by Royal McBee in New York. He and his wife were married June 28, 1952 in Geneva, N.Y. Besides his wife of 54 years, he leaves four sons, Richard and Bill Persing, both of Rocky Hill, Conn., Stephen Persing of Wethersfield, Conn., and Robert Persing of Havertown, Pa.; a daughter, Nancy of Billerica; a sister, Nancy Clark of West Stockbridge; a brother, John Persing of West Stockbridge; and three grandchildren. FUNERAL NOTICE -- The family will receive guests for the Rev. William N. Persing, who died Saturday, Aug. 12, 2006, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday at the AURORA-MCCARTHY FUNERAL HOME, 167 Old Hartford Road, Colchester, Conn. Funeral services will be 1 p.m. on Saturday at St. Peter's Church, 30 Church St., (Route 85), Hebron, Conn. Burial will be private and at the convenience of the family. The family kindly requests that flowers be omitted, but rather that memorial donations be made to St. Peter's Church, 30 Church St., Hebron, CT 06248 or Trinity Parish, 300 Main St., Wethersfield, CT 06109. The Rev. Persing was the beloved husband of Anne Marie Persing and went home to the Lord on Saturday evening at the Hartford Hospital surrounded by his loving family. He also leaves a daughter-in-law, Katherine; a son-in-law, Alan; three grandchildren, Michael, James and Emma; and numerous extended family members and friends.

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