Rev. David Alexander St. Clair IV

David Alexander St. Clair IV passed away peacefully in Asheville, NC on September 22, 2020.
His wife of 59 years, Gail, and his three children were with him in his final days. He led a life of
faith which gave him inner strength and calm, especially in his final decade as he courageously
met the challenges of progressive Parkinson’s Disease with grace, good humor, and acceptance.
When the time to meet his Lord and Savior arrived, he was ready and at complete peace.

David, the oldest of two sons of Gladys and David (Pete) St. Clair, was born on December 15,
1932 and raised in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He graduated in 1950 from Liberty High School,
and went on to earn a degree in Chemistry in 1954 from Williams College in Williamstown,
Massachusetts. After graduation he spent two years as an officer in the United States Air Force.
Later he followed in his father’s footsteps in the steel industry, working in sales for Latrobe
Steel. David met the love of his life, Gail Hartfelder, when both were in the wedding party of
Gail’s sister and David’s Williams College fraternity brother. Gail and David married a year later
in 1961, and moved to Greensburg, Pennsylvania, where they lived for 30 plus years and raised
their children. While still working full time in the steel industry, David answered his calling to
serve the Episcopal church and was ordained as a priest in 1969. While working in the steel
industry and subsequent to his retirement after 30+ years, David continued to serve at churches
in numerous locations across Western Pennsylvania and beyond, until his retirement from the
church in 2015.

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Blairsville, PA
St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church, Canonsburg, PA
St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, Scottsdale, PA
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Kittanning, PA
St. Michaels’ of the Valley Episcopal Church, Ligonier, PA
St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Murrysville, PA
Christ Episcopal Church, Greensburg, PA
The Church of the Advent, Jeannette, PA
St Jude’s Episcopal Church, Marietta GA
Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Colorado Springs, CO

Similar to his parents, David loved fishing and time spent in the outdoors, especially at the Mink
Pond Club in the Pocono Mountains. David returned to Mink Pond nearly every year of his life,
starting at age 12, to spend hours in the stream waiting for a trout to strike. Mink Pond is a
beloved place for generations of the St Clair family. David’s parents brought him and his brother
John, and in turn, David took his wife and three children, and then seven grandchildren, all of
whom gained the love of place and time with him, though none reached his skill as a fisherman,
except maybe his brother John, arguably a better fisherman but the debate on that continues.
During his years at Williams he was an active member of the Glee Club and the fraternity Beta
Theta Pi. In addition, David was an avid reader his entire life. He had an extensive collection of
church and religious books, most of which he read. He donated his books to churches in
Colorado Springs and the Denver Seminary before moving to North Carolina. David loved
playing tennis, teaching his children to enjoy the sport while at Pike Run Country Club in the
mountains of Pennsylvania. Until health issues began to limit his mobility, David was an
enthusiastic runner, initially getting up in early mornings for solitary runs when his children were
young, and later running with friends in Atlanta along the Chattahoochee River. A common
theme emerges on reflection of David’s life, that of a person energized by meeting new people,
making new friends with ease, and finding community wherever he landed, as evidenced by the
number of notes sent his way in his final days from people he had known and befriended at every
stage and location of his life. Those notes brought David much comfort.

Gail and David lived for many years in Smyrna, GA until Gail’s retirement and then moved to
Colorado Springs, CO to be near family. In 2018, David and Gail moved for a final time to
Givens Estates, a retirement community in Asheville. At Givens, David found renewed life, and
as was his way, new friends. From taking exercise classes with fellow residents to setting aside
his walker to dance with his beloved Gail during ballroom dance classes and holiday parties, life
at Givens suited him. The last months of his life, confined mostly to his apartment by Covid
restrictions, and in the final two months at the Givens Estates Health Center, were especially
hard, but again, he met that challenge with grace and with Gail by his side. Her years of devoted,
daily care of David as Parkinson’s robbed him of his abilities is a testament to the true meaning
of their commitment to one another.

In addition to his wife Gail, and brother John of Bethlehem, PA, David leaves three children and
seven grandchildren, Susan and her husband Jeff Fowler of Leicester, North Carolina, parents of
Ted and Gabi; David and his wife Julie of Larkspur, Colorado, parents of Alex (David Alexander
St. Clair VI) and Peter: and John and his wife Kelli Dugan of Durham, North Carolina, parents
of Ainsley, Jack and Eliot. He was immensely proud of each of them.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made in David’s memory to Holy Trinity
Anglican Church ( https://www.holytrinityanglican.church ) in Colorado Springs, CO or to a
charity of your choice.