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| AGW Welcome | The Witness Magazine |
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In Celebration
and Thanksgiving for the Life of John S. Winder, Jr. John Small Winder, Jr., a lifelong Episcopalian with an extended legacy of service in the Episcopal Church, particularly on issues of environmental stewardship and ecological justice, died suddenly of cardiac arrest August 13th at his home in Potomac, Maryland. Jack had been chair of the Episcopal Ecological Network, a body of activists with representatives from each of the eight provinces of the church. Locally, he chaired the Environment Committee of the Peace Commission of the Diocese of Washington (DC). He was also deeply involved in the church's "Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation" (JPIC) initiative, and served on the Province III (Mid-Atlantic states) JPIC steering committee as its environmental representative. Jack was insistent on the need for the church to address environmental concerns, particularly within its justice and peace ministries. He helped to draft and present resolutions on environmental issues — like endangered species, climate change, recycling, and educational initiatives — at all levels of the church. Many statements now used as policy by our dioceses and congregations owe a debt to Jack's tireless efforts. A native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Jack was a graduate of the University of Michigan and received a law degree from George Washington University law school in 1969. In 1973, Washingtonian magazine named him a "Washingtonian of the Year" for his role as executive director of the Metropolitan Washington Coalition for Clean Air. He spent 28 years in law and management positions at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), working mostly on hazardous waste cleanup efforts such as Superfund. Jack had a rich resonating bass voice, a talent he used well not only in his leadership positions, but also to sing in The Augmented Eight, an a capella group which performs religious and barbershop music to benefit charity, especially a well-attended annual concert to help support "So Others May Eat" (SOME). One of his last achievements was the publication of the booklet, "Church Youth Leader Field Guide for Planning Environmental Field Trips in the Washington Metropolitan Area: Adventures of the Spirit in the Natural World." Members of the Environment Committee fondly remember a bright spring day full of good humor, joy and friendship when Jack and Penny joined them on a visit to assess one of the sites to be included in the field guide. The following prayer by American poet W.E.B. Du Bois was selected by Penny from the guide for the cover of the bulletin at Jack's memorial service (held Saturday August 17th at St John's Norwood in Bethesda, Maryland):
Jack is survived by his wife Penny and three daughters — Katherine, Nelse, and Anne — from previous marriages. A memorial is being planned by the Episcopal Ecological Network (EEN) and the Environment Committee of the Peace Commission of the Diocese of Washington. Memorial contributions may be made by contacting the Rev. Wanda Copeland, chair of the EEN. Wanda offers in tribute, "His death only reminds me of the urgency of our work, the boldness with which we must proclaim our mission, and the importance of inviting others into our work." Memorial contributions may also be made in his name to the Nature Conservancy, 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 100, Bethesda, MD 20814. A tree in memory of Jack has already been planted. Ernest Lent, member of the Washington Diocese Environment Committee offered a moving testimony to Jack upon learning of his death while in Wales in August. Ernest planted a small Rowan tree in an orchard by a lake in Snowdonia National Park, just a few miles from the foot of Mount Snowden. The community there promises to nurture the tree. Words by Ernest, inscribed on a plaque placed at its base, say the following:
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