William Mclatchie
Age - 94
June 8, 2022
William Richmond Lockie McLatchie was born in Chicago on December 15, 1927 to Wesley McLatchie and Ann Jane Foster McLatchie, naturalized Americans of Scottish-Canadian and Irish-Canadian origins. The family later moved to Milwaukee in 1937. After graduating from high school, William attended teacher's college, specializing in music education. He played several instruments, most notably the violin. He worked as a teacher for a year, then moved to Philadelphia to attend Faith Theological Seminary, from which he received the Master of Divinity degree. He followed that up with post-graduate studies at Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Learning. During his seminary education, he met Lois Bess Reeder while playing in the orchestra of the Youth on the March television evangelism program. They married on June 4, 1955. William was ordained in Pilgrim Baptist Church in Philadelphia and Ruth was born in 1956. William then worked as a professor at Shelton College, then located in Ringwood, New Jersey. During this time, John was born. William then obtained a position as a Bible college professor at Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, Tennessee, during which time they had two sons, Benjamin, stillborn, and David. He also played in the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra. In 1960, the family moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada so that William could fill a position as a professor at Christian Training Institute. He later became a public school music teacher in Edmonton. During this time, Elizabeth and Willa were born, and David passed away of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. In 1974, he accepted a position as the pastor of two small rural churches in Pennsylvania, Forest Baptist Church, and Lanse Baptist Church while Lois obtained her Ph. D. in Psychology at Penn State University. In 1978, William accepted a position as pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church of Highland Heights, Ohio, where he stayed until he retired in 2009. While in the Cleveland Area, he played in the Heights Symphony Orchestra. In February, 2009, he moved with Lois to Quarryville Presbyterian Retirement Community, Quarryville, Pennsylvania. At QPRC, he served on a rotating committee of retired pastors who provided Sunday services to residents of the skilled care section of QPRC. In August, 2018, Lois passed away after many years of William being her sole caregiver for congestive heart failure. In November, 2021, William moved from QPRC to Geneva, Ohio so that his children could better care for him in his weakened condition. In March, 2022, he was hospitalized for neck fractures of indeterminate origin, and then transferred to skilled care for rehabilitation. On May 31, 2022, he passed away at Ohman Family Living at Blossom, after receiving care from his children and from Hospice of the Western Reserve. Throughout his life, William glorified God, was an exemplary husband, provided an uplifting example to his progeny, acted as humble shepherd to God's people, demonstrated a sharp intellect and musical gifts, practiced thrift, and was blessed with a quirky sense of humor. As he departs for heaven, we can hear him saying, "We're off like a dirty shirt!"Show more
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