Roanridge Director Allison Dies in Burlington, VT
Diocesan Press Service. April 18, 1969 [76-18]
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The Rev. W. Francis Allison, an officer of the Episcopal Church's Executive Council and director of the Roanridge Rural Training Foundation, Kansas City, Mo., died on April 16, in Burlington, Vt. Prior to his appointment ten years ago, the Rev. Mr. Allison was director of Kirby Episcopal House in the Diocese of Bethlehem.
Previously he served for nine years as rector of St. Paul's Church, Montrose, Pa., and vicar to two nearby rural missions, while at the same time teaching on the faculty of the Philadelphia Divinity School.
The Rev. Mr. Allison graduated from Hobart College and the Virginia Theological Seminary. After ordination in 1927, he served town and country churches in the Dioceses of Central New York, Virginia, Newark, and Bethlehem. He was an active member for many years of the Rural Worker's Fellowship (now called the Society of RWF) serving both as president and secretary-treasurer. In 1951 he was given the society's annual RWF award for distinguished leadership in the rural church.
He was a delegate to the 1954 Anglican Congress and in 1955 was delegate to the World Town and Country Work Conference held at St. Augustine's College, Canterbury, England. He represented the Executive Council on numerous interchurch and national commissions and committees.
The Burial Office was read at St. James Church, Essex Junction, Vt., on April 18 by the Rt. Rev. Frederick J. Warnecke, Bishop of Bethlehem, assisted by the parish rector and other clergymen. He is survived by his wife, the former Karlotta Heyne, and two daughters, Elizabeth who is on the history faculty at Centenary College, Hackettstown, N.J., and Mrs. Donald Hamlin of Burlington, Vt.