The Reverend Canon Dr. Richard Toll

THE REV. CANON DR. RICHARD TOLL BIOGRAPHY

I was born on April 14, 1939, in Pecos, Texas.  I graduated from Pecos High School, in 1957, and received a Bachelor of Administration from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, in January, 1962.  On September 1, 1962, I married Elaine Higginbotham, a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority at Texas Tech. We have been married for 63 years.  We have two children, David and Sondi and four grandchildren.  I pledged Sigma Chi in 1957, and served as Consul in 1959 – 1960.

Upon graduation, I became a Second LT in the US Army having been in ROTC at Tech.  I was stationed at Ft. Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, before going to the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, an Episcopal seminary in Berkeley, CA. I received a Master of Divinity and was ordained a priest at Grace Memorial Episcopal Church in Portland, OR and served also as City Missioner.

From 1971 to 1976, I was rector at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Baker, OR.  I then was called as Canon Pastor at St. Marks Cathedral in Seattle, WA. from 1976 to 1984, I became an Honorary Canon of the Diocese of Olympia. In 1984 to 2003, I was the Rector at St. Johns Episcopal Church in Milwaukie, OR and retired from parish ministry in September, 2003.

I was appointed by Retired Bishop Edmond Browning as the Chair of Friends of Sabeel North America, during which time I had the opportunity to organize 34 conferences in the United States on the issues of justice and peace in the Holy Land.  As the Patron of Sabeel, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, supported Sabeel international and within the United States and spoke at many of our conferences.

In 1985, I received the Doctor of Ministry degree from Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, VA, and an honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity from the Church Divinity of the Pacific in 2001.  I served on the Board of Trustees at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific for ten years and served at President of the Alumni Association.

We live in a retirement community called Willamette View Manor in Portland, OR.