Passed on Sunday, 29 January 2023
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The Rev. Charles E. Ihloff passed away on Sunday, January 29, 2023. Chuck leaves his treasured wife Holly, his brother and sister-in-law, an extended family of son and daughter with spouses, 3 grandchildren and 2 great grandsons, 16 nieces and nephews, and his life long devotion to kindness and the Christian Faith.
He was born to Mildred and Ernest Ihloff in Bristol, CT. Charlie graduated with a BA in History from Lafayette College. He met many of the foremost theologians of the day at Union Seminary, subsequently graduating from Andover Newton Theological Seminary. He interned as an Associate Protestant Chaplain at Boston University and practice taught at both Emerson College and Suffolk University, experiences informing his decision to seek parish ministry. Chuck was ordained in the United Church of Christ in 1959.
Having met and married a nursing student, Joan Amendola and having 2 children, Cathy and Ernie, the family moved to Portland, Maine, where he specialized in youth work at the State Street Church. He served his first parish, a federation of American Baptist and Congregational Churches in Brooklyn, CT. In those 16 years he did the academic work on a Masters in Old Testament Theology, began his 64 year career as a Volunteer Fire Fighter, served on committees on alcoholism, while chairing the committee that built the local Junior High School.
Divorced from Joan, who died in 1978, Chuck was called to the Congregational Church of South Hadley Falls, where he served for 20 years. A special time for the church was his marriage to Holly Henion, an artist he'd met through the youth program at Conn Baptist Camp Wightman, where both enjoyed Youth Ministry. Chuck earned his Doctorate in Family Systems Therapy from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary of Philadelphia in 1991.
Called to Casco, Maine in 1994, he helped modernize the church building and retired on Jan 1, 2000; he served as Interim Pastor for over 6 years in 3 parishes and was the settled pastor in Cornish, Maine for 8+ years. A true renaissance man, Chuck stands out with active youth programs in each of his churches and over 50 weeks as counselor at church conferences in 2 states. Understanding committee structure, he was scribe and moderator of the Conference Association, and always active at the state level. He was a life-long scholar, devouring multiple books weekly, all topics. He was instrumental in building projects wherever he went. World travel mattered to him.
A Memorial Service will be held at Casco Village Church, 941 Meadow Road, Casco, Maine on Friday, Feb 10 at 1pm. All are welcome. Arrangements are in the care of the Hall Funeral Home in Casco. www.hallfuneralhome.net.
He was born to Mildred and Ernest Ihloff in Bristol, CT. Charlie graduated with a BA in History from Lafayette College. He met many of the foremost theologians of the day at Union Seminary, subsequently graduating from Andover Newton Theological Seminary. He interned as an Associate Protestant Chaplain at Boston University and practice taught at both Emerson College and Suffolk University, experiences informing his decision to seek parish ministry. Chuck was ordained in the United Church of Christ in 1959.
Having met and married a nursing student, Joan Amendola and having 2 children, Cathy and Ernie, the family moved to Portland, Maine, where he specialized in youth work at the State Street Church. He served his first parish, a federation of American Baptist and Congregational Churches in Brooklyn, CT. In those 16 years he did the academic work on a Masters in Old Testament Theology, began his 64 year career as a Volunteer Fire Fighter, served on committees on alcoholism, while chairing the committee that built the local Junior High School.
Divorced from Joan, who died in 1978, Chuck was called to the Congregational Church of South Hadley Falls, where he served for 20 years. A special time for the church was his marriage to Holly Henion, an artist he'd met through the youth program at Conn Baptist Camp Wightman, where both enjoyed Youth Ministry. Chuck earned his Doctorate in Family Systems Therapy from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary of Philadelphia in 1991.
Called to Casco, Maine in 1994, he helped modernize the church building and retired on Jan 1, 2000; he served as Interim Pastor for over 6 years in 3 parishes and was the settled pastor in Cornish, Maine for 8+ years. A true renaissance man, Chuck stands out with active youth programs in each of his churches and over 50 weeks as counselor at church conferences in 2 states. Understanding committee structure, he was scribe and moderator of the Conference Association, and always active at the state level. He was a life-long scholar, devouring multiple books weekly, all topics. He was instrumental in building projects wherever he went. World travel mattered to him.
A Memorial Service will be held at Casco Village Church, 941 Meadow Road, Casco, Maine on Friday, Feb 10 at 1pm. All are welcome. Arrangements are in the care of the Hall Funeral Home in Casco. www.hallfuneralhome.net.