USHER, Elmer Bradbury (Rev)

The Very Reverend Elmer Bradbury Usher, a longtime Dean of Trinity Cathedral, died Tuesday, June 17, 2003, after a brief illness. Born to Mary Bradshaw Partington Usher and Elmer Bradbury Usher on December 4, 1919, in Boston. Brad (known by many as "Tip") was raised in Cumberland, Rhode Island during the Great Depression. When Brad's mother died in childbirth two years after he was born, Brad and his father lived with Brad's maternal grandmother and mule spinner grandfather who had 12 children. A graduate of Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania, he enrolled at Michigan State University. Brad returned to Rhode Island in 1943, began working as a crane operator out of Local 57, Providence, and married Mildred Odell, a teacher. Two years later, he decided to enter the Episcopal ministry because he had, in his words, "a strong empathy toward people and about God." In 1948, Brad earned an undergraduate degree in history from Michigan State, where he also played Spartan football. He attended seminary at Bexley Hall of Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. Three years later, he was ordained and began his first pastoral assignment: serving as rector and vicar of four Michigan parishes at once. In 1955, he moved his family to Detroit to serve a struggling downtown parish with no existing members, Mariners Church. He oversaw the relocation, restoration and rebuilding of the oldest stone church in Michigan; it was literally cribbed, rigged, and dragged 880 feet across the civic plaza to its new two story foundation and current location above the entrance to the tunnel under the Detroit River to Windsor, Ontario. As Rector of Mariners, he built a vibrant downtown parish ministry that reached well beyond its own congregation and into the community through radio broadcasts every Sunday morning and weekday services at the city's center. In 1964, because of his success in revitalizing Mariners, Brad was called to serve as the Dean of Trinity Cathedral in downtown Phoenix, the church of the Valley's Establishment. His understanding of theology, art, and architecture are captured in the colorful mosaic glass windows and award-winning building features created and installed during his tenure. His love of music was highlighted when Duke Ellington and his orchestra performed Mr. Ellington's Sacred Concert in the Cathedral. His ecumenical ministry reached many in the larger community through always open doors and extended pastoral care in the founding and servicing of numerous outreach groups like Interfaith Cooperative Ministries, the Center to Reverse the Arms Race, and a tireless effort to promote local and world peace. With his prophetic voice, Dean Usher brought contemporary perspective to the Old Testament and preached a vision of the Gospels based on peace, social justice, and equality, particularly for the poor and disenfranchised. After 1,189 Sunday mornings, Brad's service at Trinity Cathedral ended in 1987. In 1990, Brad married Marilyn Anderson Lockley. The couple had an active retirement, working, traveling and enjoying a growing family. Last Thursday, Brad suffered a stroke while preparing his car for his annual trip to see his great-grandchildren. He is survived by his wife Marilyn of Phoenix; daughter Lynn and son-in-law, the Rev. David C. Fox, of Tulsa, Oklahoma; daughter, Dawn Decot, son, Richard, daughter-in-law, Zella, and son, Thomas, of Phoenix; grandchildren: Sarah Fox Call and husband Terry of Cody, Wyoming; Catherine Fox of Tulsa; Elizabeth "Betsy" Usher of Las Vegas, Nevada; David Fox of Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Taylor Usher, Daniel Usher, Lauren Usher, and Mary Audra Usher of Phoenix; great-grandchildren: Jonathan and Natalie Call of Cody. He is preceded in death by his grandson, Dylan Decot. His family extends to Marilyn's children, Sarah McCampbell, of Tucson; Duncan McCampbell, of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Duff McCampbell of Sedona and Kate Lockley Murphy, of Phoenix. The family requests contributions, in lieu of flowers, to the Nature Conservancy, 4245 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203. Services will be held at All Saint's Episcopal Church, 6300 N. Central Avenue in Phoenix on Saturday, June 21, 2003, at 2:00 PM Published in The Arizona Republic from 6/19/2003 - 6/20/2003.