The Living Church

Year Article Type Limit by Author

The Living ChurchFebruary 14, 1999Bishop Wolf of Maine Dies 218(7) p. 35

The Rt. Rev. Frederick Barton Wolf, 76, retired Bishop of Maine, died Jan. 5 at Cedars Nursing Care Center in Portland, Maine. He had suffered a stroke in September.

"He brought everybody together," Rabbi Harry Sky, who went on a pilgrimage to Israel with Bishop Wolf in 1978, told the Portland Press Herald. "You looked for opportunities to do things with him ... He was one of the great men of Maine."

During his episcopate, Bishop Wolf oversaw the founding of eight congregations. Also during his tenure, the Diocese of Maine became the first to make canonical provision for clergy sabbaticals. In his retirement, he practiced as a licensed clinical counselor and led retreats for people in recovery from alcoholism.

"He would often drop me short notes, cheering me on or gently sharing his wisdom about some aspect of episcopal ministry," said the Rt. Rev. Chilton Knudsen, Bishop of Maine.

"He knew everybody at every church by their first name," Michael Clark, member of Good Shepherd Church, Houlton, who served on diocesan council during Bishop Wolf's tenure, told the Bangor Daily News.

Bishop Wolf was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He graduated from Grinnel College and Seabury-Western Theological Seminary. He was ordained deacon in 1945, priest in 1946 and consecrated bishop in 1968. Before his election, Bishop Wolf served as rector of Holy Trinity, Belvidere, Ill., 1946-50, rector of St. Christopher's, Oak Park, Ill., 1950-54, dean of St. John's Cathedral, Quincy, Ill., 1954-57, and rector of St. Peter's, Bennington, Vt., 1959-68. He was associate secretary for leadership training in the department of Christian education for the Executive Council, 1957-59.

Bishop Wolf is survived by his wife, Barbara Buckley Wolf, three daughters and four grandchildren.