Rev. Dr. Richard D. Weis
Saturday 5th of November 1949 - Thursday 31st of December 2020
The
Rev. Dr. Richard D. Weis, 71, Dean and Professor Emeritus of Hebrew Bible at
Lexington Theological Seminary, beloved husband and teacher; enthusiastic
gardener, chef, baker, and North Shore hiker, died December 31, 2020 at home in
Lexington, KY. Born in Lafayette, IN, he
grew up in Cincinnati, OH. He earned an
A.B. in Classical Studies from the University of Michigan and an M. Div. from
Princeton Theological Seminary. Ordained
by the United Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. as a Minister of Word and
Sacrament, he served three Presbyterian churches in Paterson, NJ as associate
pastor, and Beaumont (CA) United Presbyterian Church as interim pastor. He subsequently received a Ph.D. in Religion
from Claremont Graduate School. As a graduate
student, he also served as Director of the Ancient Biblical Manuscript Center
for Preservation and Research in Claremont, CA.
He began his academic career as Assistant
(and then Associate) Professor of Old Testament at New Brunswick Theological
Seminary (NJ), where he eventually became Dean of the Seminary. Next he served United Theological Seminary of
the Twin Cities (MN) as Dean and Professor of Old Testament Theology. He was awarded the D.D. honoris causa by United when he left to become Vice President for
Academic Affairs and Dean, and Professor of Hebrew Bible, in Lexington.
Wherever
he worked, he participated actively in the work of the local Presbytery, and
served as guest preacher and teacher at many churches. He was a recognized
Jeremiah scholar who wrote and edited for numerous scholarly books and
journals. He was a member of various work groups (notably in feminist
hermeneutics) of the Society for Biblical Literature. He dedicated thirty
years to service on the international committee producing Biblica Hebraica, Editio quinta funditus
renovata, a new edition of the entire Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) that
takes account of evidence from the Dead Sea Scrolls and other manuscripts
unavailable during production of previous editions.
He
was preceded in death by his parents, Vernon and Verna (Kugler) Weis, brother
Robert Weis, parents-in-law Asa L. and Dorothy (Woodbury) Rogers,
sisters-in-law Joanne (Rogers) Samuda and Patricia (Rogers) Maimone, and many
beloved cats. He is survived by his
loving wife of 43 years, Barbara Rogers, and their cat Pearl; brother and
sister-in-law, William and Marta (Nielsen) Weis; sister-in-law Elizabeth
Connor; nephews Mark Maimone (wife Mei King Cheung and daughter Selena
Maimone), Jeffrey Weis, Kevin Weis, and Connor Weis; and by countless students
and colleagues whose lives and careers he nurtured.
A
private service will be held at Hunter Presbyterian Church at 11 a. m. EST Tuesday,
January 12, which will be accessible by Zoom; please contact the church at office.hunter109@gmail.com for the link. In lieu of flowers, contributions suggested to
God’s Pantry Food Bank in Lexington, Lexington Theological Seminary’s
Certificate in Hispanic Ministries Program, or the Nature Conservancy. www.milwardfuneral.com
Guest Book
Steve Delamarter
saysRich was a good friend to me in the PhD program at Claremont. He was an "elder brother," with wise advice, given generously. I feel great sorrow for his early passing. I pray sustaining grace upon family and colleagues who will miss him greatly.
Edward A Clydesdale
saysI was saddened to learn of Rich’s passing. As pastor of Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, Trenton/Hamilton Township, NJ I participated in the Teaching Church Program at Princeton Seminary and I was privileged to have Rich as a field education student, I believe in his first year, 40+ years ago. He was a joy to work with and he teamed with Elizabeth Johnson, also a student at PTS. It was a wonderful year and our teenagers loved them both. Ironically, Rich went on to become an Old Testament scholar while Beth became a New Testament expert in feminine studies. It was a blessing to have known Rich and grateful to have shared in part of his faith journey..
Marvin Sweeney
saysMany thanks, Rich, for your friendship and wisdom. You passed much too early. May your memory be a blessing. D'rishot Shalom, Marv
Stephen Reed
saysI was sorry to hear about the passing of Rich. We were fellow students at Claremont Graduate School and he was a helpful guide to me. My wife, Mary, and I worshipped with Barb and Rich at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Ontario, California as well. Rich was a great model as scholar as well as a good teacher and a faithful servant.
Aaron
saysMy heartfelt condolences and prayers are with the family of Rev, Dr. Prof. Weis. I had the opportunity to have him as a professor at the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities Area as an international student from India. I always admired his soft spoken, thought provoking words of wisdom mixed with humor. "precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants." Psalm 116:15
Richard Israel
saysSo sorry to hear of the passing of Rich Weis. I knew him from our time together as students at Claremont Graduate School. He was always willing to help guide my own research and serve as a listening, reflective friend offering encouragement and advice when needed. Prayers for the family .