The Rev. William A. Ellsworth II, 94, of Schnecksville, died April 2, 2024, in Lehigh Valley Hospital Inpatient Hospice Unit, Allentown.

He and his wife, Shirley E. (Diehl) Ellsworth, were married 69 years.

Born Jan. 25, 1930, in Allentown, he as the son of the late William A. Ellsworth Sr., and Martha (Dorne) Ellsworth.

He was a 1947 graduate of the former South Whitehall High School and a 1953 graduate of Elizabethtown College.

He continued his education at Lancaster Theological Seminary where he earned his Bachelor of Divinity degree in May 1955.

He was ordained into the former Evangelical and Reformed Church, now the United Church of Christ at Jordan Church, South Whitehall, where he was a member.

He began his ministry serving parishes in central and western Pennsylvania before returning to the Lehigh Valley as pastor at Grace UCC, Northampton, in 1962. While serving there, he oversaw the building and completion of a new Christian Education building, which continues to serve the members of Grace UCC today.

Following his ministry at Grace UCC, he continued his education at Crozer Theological Seminary, Upland, earning a Master of Theology degree in 1967.

He made broad and extensive use of his education, serving parishes for approximately 55 years, including 35 years of full-time ministry and 20 years of interim ministry.

His last and longest full-time pastorate was at Blooming Grove UCC, Blooming Grove, N.Y., from 1974-93.

While at Blooming Grove UCC, he also served as a board member for Phoebe Home, representing New York’s Hudson-Mohawk Conference.

In 1993, he became the first full-time chaplain at Phoebe Home, Allentown, serving until 2001.

While chaplain at Phoebe, he helped design a Clinical Pastoral Education program with a small team of colleagues, a program that continues today to train pastors and chaplains for full-time ministry.

Following his retirement from Phoebe, he continued to serve Phoebe as a volunteer, leading a weekly Bible study group.

He also continued to serve UCC churches as an interim pastor for numerous parishes in Lehigh, Carbon and Northampton counties.

Throughout his service to parishes and to Phoebe, he made study of the Bible and its lessons a focus of his life and ministry.

In his personal time, he and his wife, enjoyed the many cultural offerings of the Lehigh Valley.

They were season subscription holders to the Allentown Symphony and Pennsylvania Summer Shakespeare Festival, and they attended numerous concerts and shows at the Zoellner Arts Center, Bethlehem.

He also very much enjoyed Allentown Band concerts, having had an uncle, Joseph Dorne, who played the kettle drums for the band for many years.

Into his mid-80s, he frequently attended the Celtic Classic in Bethlehem with his son, especially enjoying the Highland Games athletic events and the Border Collie demonstrations.

He and his wife were avid animal lovers, and over the years cared for numerous dogs and, in later years, cats.

He also enjoyed feeding and identifying the variety of birds that frequented the woods behind their home in Schnecksville.

In addition to his loving wife, he is survived by a son, William A. Ellsworth III of Schnecksville; and daughter Catherine E. Ellsworth of New York City.

He was predeceased by a sister, Flora Jane (Ellsworth) Reinert.

A private graveside service will be held at Egypt Cemetery, Whitehall.

The family will host a celebration of his life 12:30 p.m. May 4 in the Jordan UCC Social Hall, 1837 Church Road, South Whitehall.

Expressions of sympathy may be made at heintzelmancares.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Lancaster Theological Seminary, World Central Kitchen or Habitat for Humanity, all c/o the funeral home, P.O. Box 196, Schnecksville, PA 18078-0196.

Arrangements were made by Heintzelman Funeral Home Inc., Schnecksville.