Edward O. de Bary

     The Rev. Dr. Edward O. de Bary, 80, died peacefully at Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Center on January 8. Born in Antwerp, Belgium, he was the son of the late Edmund T. and Anne Marie de Bary. He is survived by his wife, Marcia Huff de Bary, a sister Anne Marguerite Rountree (Richard) of Newport News, VA and brother Edmund de Bary (Barbara) of Richmond, VA.

     The de Bary family came to the United States in 1948. Edward attended high school in Kempsville, VA. After graduating from The University of the South in 1961, he served in the US Air Force for four years. In 1965, he entered the School of Theology at the University of the South and graduated in 1968. In 1984 he completed a STD at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. He served Episcopal congregations in VA and MS. In 1982, he moved to Sewanee, TN to help develop and later direct the Education for Ministry program, a foundational course of theological education for lay people worldwide.

     After moving to Deerfield in 2004, Dr. de Bary was actively involved with the Democratic Party of Buncombe County, Jewish Family Services, the Asheville Choral Society, Asheville Lyric Opera, and the Asheville Stamp Club.

     A memorial service will be held at 2:00pm, Saturday, January 19 at St. Giles Chapel in Deerfield. Memorial gifts may be made to the Deerfield Residence Fund  (1617 Hendersonville Road, Asheville NC  28803 or Jewish Family Services of WNC, 2 Doctors Park, Suite E, Asheville, NC 28801.

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