Reverend Dr. Stuart Campbell Haskins, Jr., 96, of Centennial, Colorado, died March 19th after a short illness. He was born in North Adams, Massachusetts on October 17, 1928, to Rev. Stuart C. Haskins, Sr. and Margaret Pritchard Haskins.
He graduated from Quincy (MA) High School in 1946. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Army in Japan. He attended Cornell University and received a B.A. in Philosophy in 1952. There he met and fell in love with Katherine (Kat) Woodbury, and they were married in her hometown of Moscow, Idaho on August 26, 1952. He attended Yale Divinity School and was ordained in 1955.
After ordination, Stuart served congregations in Connecticut: first as Associate Minister of Newtown Congregational Church from1955-1958, and then as Senior Minister of North Haven Congregational Church from 1958-1967.
In 1967 Stuart was appointed Senior Minister of First Plymouth Congregational Church UCC in Denver, a position he held for 25 years until his retirement in 1993. He was known for his excellent preaching, for his teaching and administrative skills, and for his compassionate pastoral care.
While at First Plymouth, Stuart also served the larger community, providing leadership to the United Church of Christ Rocky Mountain Conference, the Colorado Council of Churches, the Denver Area Interfaith Clergy Conference, the UCC Metro Denver Association and the National UCC Board. Stuart taught divinity students at the Iliff School of Theology for many years. In 1976, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Doane University.
Even in retirement, Stuart continued working for the UCC Rocky Mountain Conference, serving as assistant conference minister. He was active in the Rotary Club and the Lions Club, providing leadership – and piano playing – to those organizations. He supported the Denver Inner City Parish, delivered meals for Project Angel Heart, and served on the nonprofit Board of Directors of Savio House.
Stuart loved his adopted state of Colorado. He spent as much time as possible in the mountains with family and friends going hiking, camping, backpacking, fly fishing, and cross-country skiing. He was an avid gardener and loved to spend weekends in the summer tending to his crops. Everyone who knew him, as well as some strangers, were given bounty from his enormous vegetable garden. He loved sports and played tennis every week, well into his eighties. He was a devoted Rockies fan and season-ticket holder, he loved the Broncos, and he cheered for every Colorado team.
Stuart and Kat loved to travel. They traveled for church youth retreats, mission trips and sabbaticals in the U.S. and overseas. After retirement, they took international cultural tours to many interesting and exotic places. They frequently traveled to visit and vacation with friends and relatives.
Stuart was mentally sharp and physically active to the end of his life. He was the eternal optimist; according to him, the sun was always about to come out no matter how bleak and foreboding the skies looked. He and Kat had a zest for people, for nature, for art and for experiences, and they shared a remarkable and marvelous life together.
Stuart is survived by his wife of 72 years, Katherine (Kat) Haskins; his brother David Haskins; his four adult children: Jane Wolfe Zamudio, George Haskins, Stephen Haskins, and John Haskins; his six grandchildren: Jessica Nolan, Christopher Wolfe, Jeremy Wolfe, Elizabeth (Lizzy) Chitamitre, Emily Haskins, and Christopher Haskins. He is also survived by five great-grandchildren, many extended family members and loving in-laws, as well as numerous friends that he considered as family.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Denver Inner City Parish: https://dicp.org/support/make-a-donation/
A memorial service will be held on May 10th at 2:00 p.m. at First Plymouth Church, 3501 S. Colorado Blvd., Cherry Hills Village, CO 80113. A reception will follow the service; all are welcome.
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