The Reverend Richard Edward Ploth, a
retired minister in the Presbyterian Church, USA, and recently of Dover Plains,
NY died on Sunday, September 20th, 2015 from complications following a stroke.
He had been a resident of The Grand Nursing Home in Pawling, NY for the past two
months. Rev. Ploth would have been 82 next month.
“Dick” was born in
Oceanside, Long Island, NY on October 6th, 1933, to Edward B. and Adelaide Combs
Ploth and graduated from Oceanside High School in 1951. He earned a Bachelor’s
degree in Latin and Hebrew from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois and a
Masters of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. He was ordained
to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament in the PCUSA by the then Brooklyn-Nassau
Presbytery on Long Island and began his many pastorates at the Yaphank
Presbyterian Church, followed by service to the Waverly Presbyterian Church in
Waverly, NY, and then as Executive Presbyter for Northern New York Presbytery.
During his time in “the North Country,” he also worked as a management
consultant for Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY teaching employees of many
utility companies, nursing homes and community organizations. On weekends, he served several small churches who were without a full time pastor. In
1992 he came to Long Island Presbytery as Interim Executive Presbyter, and in
1994 began a string of pastorates as Stated Supply or Interim, including the
Presbyterian churches of East Moriches, Remsenberg, Sag Harbor, Setauket and the
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Jamesport, NY. In 2006 he followed his
wife, Lynda, to Ossining, NY and Hudson River Presbytery, where she was called
to be pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Ossining. During their 9 years there,
he served the Presbyterian churches in Scotchtown, NY and in Chester NY. He
officially retired in 1998, but continued to work and serve until his health
failed him in 2013.Dick served on many councils and committees of
the larger church, on community boards and projects and was a sought-after
keynote speaker at high school graduations and other important occasions. He was gifted with eloquence, intelligence, a deep sense of humor and the absurd,
and held every audience captive with his pithy stories and his rich theological
thinking. He was a true pastor, committed to the ministry of presence with
those who needed him as friend and counselor.
Rev. Ploth was an active
member of several Rotary Clubs over the years, including as President in the
Wavery, NY, Greenport, NY and Ossining, NY clubs. He had several types of
pilot's and instructor’s licenses, was an avid motorcyclist and a dedicated
sailor The open cockpit plane he once flew is on display at the Rhinebeck
Aerodrome. He authored two volumes of as yet unpublished anecdotes called “One
Page at a Time,” which are based on radio broadcasts he did while in Northern
NY.
Richard married Ivy Vurture in 1961 and became the father of
John, Rick, Ivy Ann and Allan Ploth. The marriage ended in divorce. In 1982 he
married the Rev. Lynda S. Clements and their son, Joel Brooks Clements was born.
An avid feminist by his own description, Rev. Ploth “kept his name when he got
married,” and together he and Lynda gave their son her last name. He is
survived with deep love by all the children, his wife, Lynda, his brother, David
B. Ploth, 7 grandchildren, one great-grandchild and several cousins, nieces and
nephews.
Memorial Service October 10, 2015, 1:00pm, at the Smithtown Presbyterian Church, Smithtown, LI, NY