WILLIAMSVILLE-The passing of Rt. Rev. Thomas Clark Ely on Aug. 30 at age 73 has sent waves of dismay and compassion through the many communities with which he interacted.
"If I were a rich man...." Tom once sang those words as he performed Tevye's optimistic tune from Fiddler on the Roof for one of the many Rock River Players (RRP) cabarets he was in.
He was a rich man. Rich in friends, accomplishments, impact on others, service to the oppressed and unheard. He was a giant. Yes, tall, but far bigger than that.
I first met Tom in 2002 when he came to St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Brattleboro as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont to confirm a new class of confirmands, my twin sons among them.
I'd heard only good about this man; his stature and importance made me feel a little small.
I felt that, too, after I started to serve as a lay assistant on the altar at St. Michael's and was soon scheduled to serve on another Sunday when Tom was due for a visit. I felt honored - humbled - to hold his crozier, a bishop's crook beautifully carved from Vermont maple, while he presided over the Eucharist. Again, especially in his miter, Tom seemed bigger than life.
While some people seem bigger than life forever, others evolve into peers and colleagues through time and circumstance.
So it was when Tom retired from the Diocese in 2019 and he and his wife, Ann, moved to the second home they'd had for a while in Newfane.
Tom, a longtime theater guy, reached out with an interest in working with the Rock River Players.
How colorful and wonderful it was to take him off the pedestal and to be both acting with and directing him.
Over the last several years, Tom had performed in several one acts and full-length productions, annual cabarets, and the RRP's Covid-time "Solos" series aired on BCTV. Recently, he'd jumped in to direct for the RRP's annual weekend of one-act plays.
Tom was always the glue behind any show he'd been part of, encouraging and modeling camaraderie, ensemble spirit, and professionalism - with heart - for us all. He could feel the pulse of a room and discern what was needed, then unobtrusively and humbly address and meet that need.
He saw theater not only as the art it is but as a community builder.
"That's the biggest thing this community theater is about," he'd said in May. "Bringing community together. [We] all work together to make something good happen for our community."
* * *
Tom Ely was born and educated in Norwalk, Connecticut, before going on to Western Connecticut State University, where he studied speech and theater. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from the University of the South, School of Theology in Sewanee, Tennessee in 1980.
That same year, he was ordained in the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut, where he served parish ministries for decades.
From 1985 to 1991, he was the diocesan director of youth ministries, "guiding and inspiring countless young people," his obituary reads, and as the executive director of Camp Washington, an Episcopal camp and conference center in Connecticut, "he supported a vibrant ministry and nurtured the faith formation of youth and adolescents."
In 2001, Tom was consecrated as the 10th Bishop of Vermont, a role he held until his retirement.
According to his obituary, "Tom's ministry was rooted in the promises of Baptism and the ministry of all God's people, a vision that shaped his leadership and his witness throughout the church."
He was recognized nationally as a champion for LGBTQ+ rights and marriage equality, "helping to lead the Episcopal Church toward greater inclusion," his obituary continues.
As reported on the Vermont diocese's website (diovermont.org), "Bishop Gene Robinson, the church's first openly gay bishop, said Ely had done more to advance the full inclusion of all baptized people in the life of the church than any other bishop, including himself."
Tom also was "a strong advocate for sensible gun control," his obituary continues; he served as a member of Bishops United Against Gun Violence.
That work led him to co-found the Vermont chapter of Swords to Plowshares, through which "he promoted peace, reconciliation, and the transformation of violence into hope."
* * *
Tom was an advocate for human rights for all in all he did.
He supported Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA), groups of volunteers who help prepare offenders for re-entry into society with compassion and accountability. He co-founded the Vermont chapter of Kids4Peace, through which he worked with youth dedicated to ending the conflict in the Middle East.
Even in retirement, Tom continued to serve the wider church, becoming bishop provisional of North Dakota from 2021 to 2023. In all these ministries, his obituary states, Tom "addressed the pressing issues of social justice with courage and conviction, grounded in his belief in the dignity of every human being."
Compassionate, responsive, intelligent, resourceful, strategic, "Tom lived a life of hope - hope in God, hope in people, and hope in the power of love to transform the world. He lived in constant hope, and his life was a radiant testament to love in action."
And he was humble.
Not once in a program bio for a theatrical production did I see him tout his credentials, his importance, his effectiveness, or his life experience.
* * *
Tom had often said how much he'd like to see the RRP stage the musical Children of Eden, in which he'd played a lead (God) at Camp Washington.
That's no surprise when you see these lyrics for one of the show's tunes:
"But you cannot close the acorn/ Once the oak begins to grow,/ And you cannot close your heart/ to what it fears and needs to know: /That the hardest part of love /Is the letting go."
I believe it was hard for Tom Ely to let go.
* * *
Tom is survived by his wife, Ann; his daughters, Jennifer and Katherine; and four grandchildren.
A celebratory service will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20, at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 16 Bradley Ave., Brattleboro, followed by a reception.
A second service will be held at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, 2 Cherry St., Burlington, on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 11 a.m., at which bishops and clergy will be invited to vest and process.
For more information about the life and work of Rt. Rev. Thomas C. Ely, visit the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont's website.
Annie Landenberger, an arts writer and columnist for The Commons, is founder and longtime artistic director of the Rock River Players, which has formed the Thomas C. Ely Fund to support new play development and capital improvements. For more information and to contribute in Tom Ely's memory, visit rockriverplayers.org.
This News column by Annie Landenberger was written for The Commons.