Prineville

Nov. 20, 1934 — June 27, 2021

The Rev. Lawrence Cooley Ferguson Jr. passed into God’s glory June 27, 2021, in Prineville, Oregon. His beloved wife Anna, predeceased him in 2016. He is survived by his three adult children: Elizabeth Sarah Ferguson, Lawrence Cooley Ferguson III (wife Kim, daughters Elise and Emily Ferguson and granddaughter Kaileena Ferguson) and Ruth Ann Walker (husband Patrick Walker and their sons Ross and Todd Walker).

“Larry” was born Nov. 20, 1934, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and after graduating from Lenox School Episcopal Boarding School in Lenox, Massachusetts, pursued an M.Div at Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He and Anna were married on June 20, 1959.

In 1959 they moved to Oregon, where Larry served as rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Madras and St. Albans Episcopal Church in Redmond. He served both churches simultaneously for the first two years.

In 1968, the family moved to Hood River, Oregon, where Larry served as rector of St. Mark the Evangelist Episcopal Church until 1986, when he and Anna moved to Prineville, Oregon. Larry served as rector of St. Andrews Episcopal Church of Prineville from 1986 until his retirement.

A beloved priest, counselor and mentor, Larry was known for his deep belly laughs and down-to-earth pastoral presence. His concern for people struggling with mental health issues led to his long-time involvement with Mid-Columbia Mental Health, Central Oregon Mental Health and State of Oregon Mental Health.

On more than a few occasions, his deep faith was expressed in blunt assessments, often with the introductory line “Well that’s a load of crap,” followed by a wise chuckle. Never shy of sharing an opinion, his stance on most any topic was rarely on impulse — for Larry, debating a point of theology or ecclesiology was not about winning but about teaching. He was well known in the Hood River community for his welcoming personality and openness to anyone who sought pastoral advice, or wanted to swap fishing stories.

The memorial service will be on Sept. 11, 2021, at 1 p.m. at St. Mark the Evangelist Episcopal Church in Hood River.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Oregon.