Interment of Ashes: January 23, 2015 at St Catherine Episcopal Church

A Memorial Service for the Rev. Canon Dr. George T. Hemingway was held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 23 at St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church, 36335 Highway 101, Nehalem, OR between Manzanita and Nehalem.

In lieu of flowers, the family recommends donations to the Lower Nehalem Watershed Council toward the purchase and planting of native vegetation at the God’s Valley Meadows Restoration site in Nehalem, or toward the Music & Ministry Fund, which supports the worship and music of the Spanish language congregation of St Catherine’s. Donations can be sent to St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church, P O Box 251, Manzanita OR 97130.

 

1940-2015

George T. Hemingway, a retired biological oceanographer, who was also an Episcopal priest, died peacefully on November 8, 2015, at his home in Nehalem following a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. He was 75. He was born in Corvallis OR, the oldest of five children to George D. Hemingway and Margaret Hardman Hemingway. He served two years in the Army, and earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology in 1966 and a master’s degree in biology in 1973 from San Diego State University.

He joined the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 1966 as a seagoing research scientist where he worked for more than 30 years. He made significant contributions to the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) that is considered to be one of the world’s leading fisheries oceanography observing programs. Hemingway, who retired from Scripps in 1999, is widely known for building collaborations with Mexican research institutions. His career included a two-year term as biology department chair and professor of marine sciences at Ensenada’s Autonomous University of Baja California. He also mentored undergraduate students in marine sciences as an associate investigator of the Sea Grant project in partnership with San Diego State University,

and served as coordinator of Scripps’ Interamericas Program. His work was honored by the San Diego chapter of the scientific research society Sigma Xi with a medal of achievement. A lifelong Episcopalian, Mr. Hemingway was a graduate of the Episcopal Theological School of Claremont and was ordained in 1985. He guided Hispanic congregations in the San Diego Diocese for 10 years, as well as serving on the National Episcopal Commission on Hispanic Ministries. In 1995, he was named Canon Missioner for the San Diego Diocese.

Mr. Hemingway and his wife, Jean were married in 1968. They moved to Oregon in 2001 when he was named Canon Missioner for the Diocese of Oregon. He advised the bishop on congregational development and Hispanic ministry, and served the bilingual mission church of St. Michael’s in rural Newberg. He received a doctor of ministry at George Fox Evangelical Seminary in 2005.

On retiring to Nehalem in 2006, George assisted in ministry at the local bilingual congregation of St. Catherine’s. He enjoyed fishing, gardening, exploring the natural environment, and researching family history in his retirement. He continued his efforts in environmental stewardship by serving as chairman of the Lower Nehalem Watershed Council restoring native fish habitats and wetland conservation.

Survivors include Jean, wife of 47 years, daughter, Gillian Hemingway Asch, son-in-law, Jonathan Asch of San Diego, three sisters, Lynne Cordiner, Laurie Hemingway, both of Colorado, Gail Decker of San Diego, a brother, Ian Hemingway of Forestdale Mass. and a grandson.