The Rev. James Hugh Drury, former pastor of Sitka Lutheran Church, will be remembered at a celebration of his life 2 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at Sitka Lutheran.
A beloved husband, father, brother, and son, a respected community leader, and a compassionate pastor simply known as “PJ” to most, James died April 7, 2015, in Salt Lake City. He was 67.
He was born Jan. 7, 1948, in Lexington, Ky., to Hugh and Betty Drury. A self-described Air Force brat, he attended 13 different schools throughout the U.S. in his first 12 years of education, including three years of high school in Misawa, Japan.
In 1970, he graduated from California Baptist College in Riverside with a B.A. in English Literature. In 1977, he graduated from Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, Pa., with a master of divinity. In 1990, he graduated from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, with a master of arts in communication arts.
James then poured his robust life experience, considerable education, and capable spiritual leadership into the lives of thousands of people in multiple congregations. His first pastorate was Peace Lutheran Church in Lompoc, Calif., 1977-1982. He led Christ the King Lutheran Church in Universal City, Texas, 1982-1992, before coming to Sitka to pastor Sitka Lutheran Church, 1992-2008. In 2008, he moved to Price, Utah, to pastor the Lutheran-Episcopal congregation at Ascension St. Matthew’s Church.
James met his beloved wife Linda during his time in Sitka and doted upon her as well as her grandchildren and grown children, Kjell and Jessene Wangaard of Evergreen, Colo., and Forrest and Buffy Kuiper of Fairbanks.
He is also survived by his mother Betty Drury, of Woodway, Texas; sisters Judy Price, also of Woodway, and Rebecca Drury, of Lorena, Texas. Many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews also survive.
He was preceded in death by his father, Hugh Drury.
Like his father before him, he loved to help people. He strove to help both his local and spiritual communities thrive through the constant volunteering of his time. He played in various bands for local events throughout his life and enjoyed many different civic volunteer opportunities, like being the board president of The Island Institute of Sitka; the volunteer director for the Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary School’s annual fifth-grade Shakespeare production.
In addition to shepherding his flock, he was a clergy member of the Diocesan Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Utah, assisted the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on many communications projects, and was an Ecumenical Officer for the Utah Conference of the ELCA Rocky Mountain Synod.
Over the course of his life, he was a jovial broadcast radio personality, a knowledgeable adjunct professor, an accomplished guitarist, and the skillful author and poet of the books “A Sharpness of Grief,” “Do Not Dismiss What Is,” and “Let’s Go Walking.” His favorite passion project was likely “How Everything Works,” an album of children’s songs he wrote, played, and recorded as a fundraiser for his grandchildren’s school.
Singing to Jesus as he passed from this life into the next, his final words were a lasting testament to his unwavering faith in God.
A memorial service was held April 16 at Ascension St. Matthew’s Church located at 522 Homestead Blvd, Price,
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that a donation be made to Ascension St. Matthew’s Church Memorial Fund, and marked: “In memory of Rev. James Drury.” A portion of these funds will go to ELCA World Hunger.
