Rev. Hugh James Daley

 

Rev. Hugh James Daley

September 8, 1942  -  June 9, 2023

 

The Reverend Hugh James Daley entered the more immediate presence of our Savior on June 9, 2023. 

 

Hugh was born September 8, 1942 in Easton, Pennsylvania to the late Margaret and Bernard Daley. Hugh graduated from Easton High School. He graduated as part of the army nurse program from the Easton Hospital School of Nursing. He was in the school’s first nursing class to include male students. He was commissioned as a lieutenant with the US Army. Hugh served in the US Navy aboard the USS Canisteo, AO 99 during the blockade of Cuba. He served as a commission officer with the US Navy Nurse Corps at Camp Lejeune, NC. He graduated from Mount Saint Mary’s College, and the Lutheran Seminary at Gettysburg, from which he obtained a Master of Arts in Religion and Counseling, and a Master of Divinity. He also attended the Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, PA. He was ordained as a Moravian pastor at the Graceham Moravian Church in Graceham, MD on March 16, 1986. The Graceham Moravian congregation was founded in 1758 and Hugh was the first to be ordained from within this congregation.

 After he was ordained, he was called to the position of chaplain at Marion Correctional Institution in Marion, OH. Hugh created the Ministry of Theater at MCI in 1986. The ministry theater program welcomed all the incarcerated men to participate in the production of the Christmas and Easter plays. The public has been invited to watch these holiday plays in the MCI Chapel since the beginning. The theater program continues today and is known as the Hugh J. Daley Ministry of Theater. Hugh was instrumental in the development of the Citizen Circles Re-entry program within Ohio. The Citizen Circles program is a community collaboration to assist offenders with their re-entry. He served as Deputy Warden of Special Services at Toledo Correctional Institution, North Central Correctional Institution, and retired as an assistant Chief Inspector with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections. Upon retirement, he worked with the American Correctional Association conducting audits throughout the United States and Mexico. 

Hugh loved reading, golf, high school and college wrestling, Notre Dame football, and travel. Hugh and Joan traveled together to 48 countries and to all the US states. As a personal achievement he was proud of completing the Marine Corp marathon in Washington DC. Hugh officiated college and high school wrestling and was the 2000 Ohio Wrestling Official of the Year. Hugh was known for his keen sense of humor and quick wit. First and foremost, Hugh enjoyed preaching, teaching and spreading God’s word. He served numerous community congregations as a supply pastor.

Hugh is survived by his wife Joan of 53 years, daughter and son-in-law, Kathleen and Gary Wolboldt and many cousins. 

His family will greet friends from 10-11 AM on Friday, June 16, 2023, at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 135 W Main St, Waldo.  Services honoring his life will be held there at 11 AM, with Rev. Dr. Tracy Pryor and Pastor Jennifer Gonsalves officiating.  Military honors provided by the Marion County United Veterans Council will follow at the church. Burial will be held in the days to follow in Nazareth Moravian Church Cemetery in Nazareth, PA.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations made in Hugh’s honor to Redeemer Moravian Church in Dublin, OH, and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Waldo, OH.

The family would like to give special thanks to Ron Spicer of Joyce’s Angels and to Suzette, Melissa and Emily with Ohio Health Hospice Marion.

Snyder Funeral Homes, Denzer Chapel, are honored to serve Hugh's family and online condolences may be expressed by visiting www.SnyderFuneralHomes.com.

 

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