Reverend Dr. William E. Ramsden (STH ’57, GRS ’60)
This obituary was originally posted by William H. Clark Funeral Home, Inc. and can be found here.
Rev. Dr. William “Bill” E. Ramsden died at Moravian Hall Square in Nazareth, PA on Sept. 7 at the age of 92. He was married to Elsa Ramsden for 59 years. He is survived by his daughter, Karin, her husband, Steve, their two children Julia and Justin, and his son, Richard. He is predeceased by his son Ron, and is survived by Ron’s wife, Denise, and their two children, Jason and Angela.
Bill grew up in Buffalo, New York, attending the 
University of Buffalo, where he met his wife, Elsa. He got his Ph.D. from Boston University, attending the seminary there, specializing in pastoral counseling. He served as a Methodist church pastor in Boston, Indianapolis, and Philadelphia. Most recently he was the pastor of Zion United Church of Christ in Stroudsburg for over 15 years. He helped to develop a team of ministers to lead this wonderful church family, which brought him great joy and fulfillment. He worked there until he was 86 years old, never wanting to stop. In addition to being a minister, Bill was devoted to helping his community, serving on the board of the Stroudsburg YMCA, Historical Society, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and was a member of The Rotary Club. Bill was Executive Director of Opportunity Associates, a consulting business he started to help churches with development and growth. He was a true servant of God, looking for ways to help others at every turn. He also wrote several books on church growth and ministry.
Bill had an amazing wit and delighted in cracking jokes. He loved to read, especially about history and science. He traveled extensively with his family and loved to plan trips. On one trip to England, he met Queen Elizabeth! He was devoted to his family, building an office in his home to be available to his children. He enjoyed working on wonderful projects with his children: building a model railroad and a Bradley GT kit car.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 4:30 p.m. at Zion United Church of Christ, 14 N. Eighth St., Stroudsburg, PA. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Zion United Church of Christ or the American Cancer Society.