The Rev. Arthur C. Urie of Andover passed away on May 29. He was born August 6, 1943, son of Leslie and Isabel (Anderson) Urie. He and his three brothers and one sister were raised on a dairy farm in South Albany, Vermont, and as a youth he was active in the East Craftsbury Presbyterian Church. This combination created in him a great interest in Agriculture and Theology. 

He graduated from Craftsbury Academy in 1961, where he was an excellent student and became involved in the Future Farmers of America (FFA). In his senior year he served as President of the Vermont FFA and was always competitive in FFA public speaker competitions.

Art graduated from the University of Vermont with a BS Degree in Agriculture in 1965. Upon graduation, he felt the call to the ministry and graduated from Chicago Theological Seminary in 1968. He was ordained into the ministry at the East Craftsbury Presbyterian Church in October 1968, and in that same year he accepted the call to become the Associate Pastor at the Towson Maryland Presbyterian Church. 

His ministry took him on to Hagerstown, Maryland, where he served as a Chaplain, before he felt the urge to return to the northeast. In 1973, he accepted a call to be the Associate Pastor of First Congregational Church of Laconia. He was authorized in the United Church of Christ in 1974. He served churches in Pembroke, Andover, Salisbury, Campton, West Rumney, Westmoreland, Bristol, Northwood, Washington, South Newbury, and Sanbornton. Art served as Stewardship Associate for the New Hampshire Conference for 10 years. 

Art also had a career in real estate where he enjoyed 30-plus years of experience in assisting buyers and sellers in central New Hampshire as owner of Lake Farm Realty, Inc. Art was an active member of his community, serving on the Andover Planning Board and the Supervisors of the Checklist. He valued his connections with family and he always took an interest in talking with and being supportive of his many nieces and nephews. 

To Art, ministry meant working together to help each other listen to what we need to hear. Art was an avid reader and he had a firm commitment to the support of social justice issues, and he would challenge each of us to help remove barriers to justice. He was a true Ambassador for Christ and learned that life was a call to “keep going.”

Art was predeceased by his parents, his brothers Richard and Andy, his sister-in-law Ellen Urie, his nephew Danny Urie, and his niece Kelly Elder. He is survived by his sister Ellen Jane McGrew and husband Wes of Beckly, West Virginia; his brother Paul and wife Sue of Smithfield, Virginia; his sister-in-law Lorraine Urie of Glover, Vermont; his nephews Steve McGrew, Brett Urie, Neil Urie, Brad Urie, John McGrew, and his nieces Wendi Urie, Barb Marshal, Alison Betzing, Leslie Urie, Jackie Meadors, and several grand- and great-grand-nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held on July 18, at 11 AM, at the First Congregational Church of Wilmot, where he had been a member for many years. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Art’s life. 

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Wilmot Congregational Church. To sign an online guestbook, please visit www.chadwickfuneralservices.com.