Reverend Harvey Rudolph Pace Ii

Rev. Harvey Rudolph Pace, II, "Rudy" died Tuesday, June 2, 2015 at the age of 83, at home with his family, in Lake Charles, La. Rudy was born June 21, 1931, in Pomona Park, FL, to Harvey Rudolph Pace and Aileen Middleton Pace. He married Joyce Merle Johnson of Sonora, TX, on August 26, 1960, at Munger Place Methodist Church in Dallas, TX. He was a graduate of Crescent City High School, Crescent City, FL, and University of Florida (B.A. Speech & Theatre), where he also began graduate studies before joining the army. He served in the U.S. Army as a Medic, 1954-1956 - stationed for 18 months in Germany. He then received a Masters of Theology from S.M.U.'s Perkins School of Theology in 1959. Ordained in 1960, Rev. Rudy Pace joined the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, and was ordained Elder in 1962. He faithfully served the Texas Conference at Grace UMC Bremond 1960-1962; Nash UMC, Texarkana 1962-1965; St. Thomas UMC Freeport, 1965-1967; St. Mark's UMC Baytown, 1967-1971; First UMC Mont Belvieu, 1971-1978; St. John's UMC Orange, 1978-1981; Crosby UMC, 1981-1986; First UMC Jacksonville, 1986-1991; and FUMC Madisonville, 1991-1996. After retirement in 1996, Rudy, Joyce and oldest son Dolph, who has Down's Syndrome, moved to Marion, South Carolina. Here, he bought the family home that was his grandmother's and where he spent much of his childhood. Even in retirement he served on the staff, visited the sick, taught Sunday school, and helped in many other ways. He was named "Pastor Emeritus" of the local Methodist church, Marion First United Methodist Church. After several years in Marion, he and Joyce and Dolph moved to Abilene, Texas to be near son Robert, and his family. When Robert felt called to seminary in the Episcopal Church in 2009, Rudy, Joyce and Dolph moved to be near daughter Joy in Lake Charles, LA, in 2011. Throughout his life and in each of the towns he ministered to, Rev. Rudy Pace was also active in a variety of other functions. He was Boy Scout leader, a volunteer firefighter and EMT, a member of Ministerial Fellowship, Churches United in Caring , Cougar Booster Club, Band Parents Organization, and a sometimes Optimist. He served as District Health and Welfare Representative for the Houston East District. Rudy was member of Noon Lion's club, Madison County Historical Society, a volunteer chaplain at the Marion County Medical Center in South Carolina, was also a long time affiliate of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) organization in Myrtle Beach, SC, and Abilene, TX. One of his great joys in Abilene was working as the gardener at "Buffalo Gap Historic Village." Though a member of St. Paul's UMC with his family, Rev. Pace was briefly out of retirement in order to serve as minister to Epworth UMC. He was known for his generous spirit, gentle nature, amazing gardening skills, and love of family. Serving God and helping others was his true and fulfilled calling. His chief hobby, throughout life, was gardening. Part of his ministry at each church was also his beautiful singing voice - he always sang in the choir and often shared solos filled with love and moving experiences for the congregations. He is survived by his loving wife, Joyce Johnson Pace (Lake Charles); son Harvey Rudolph Pace III "Dolph" (Lake Charles) ; son Robert Pace and his wife Jill Walters (Amarillo, TX), granddaughter Catherine Keirsey Pace (Amarillo, TX) ; daughter Joy Pace and partner Carolyn Woosley (Lake Charles); brother Williams Middleton Pace and his wife Berit Pace (Houston, TX) ; sisters Carlene Newman (Rockport, TX) and Frances Burke-Goodman (West Palm Beach, FL) as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his father Harvey Rudolph "Chick" Pace, mother Aileen Middleton Pace Linke Swail, and sister Mary Adell Pace Ewell. Funeral service will be held at First United Methodist Church, Lake Charles on Friday, June 5, 2015 at 11:00 am with Rev. Weldon Bares officiating. The service will be followed by a lunch reception for all in Paxton Hall of 1st United Methodist Church, Lake Charles. Visitation will be on Thursday, June 4, 2015 from 5:30 pm until 7:30 pm at Johnson's Funeral Home. There will be no burial following the service; Rev. Harvey Rudolph Pace's cremains will be laid to rest in his family plot in Marion, South Carolina at a later date. Memorials can be made to Heifer Project International, http://fundraise.heifer.org/reverendrudypacepeaceonearth or by mail Attn: Donor Services, PO Box 8058, Little Rock, AR 72203; Up4Downs of Southwest Louisiana, P.O. Box 4233, Lake Charles, LA 70606; , 1st United Methodist Church Lake Charles Memorial Fund, 714 Pujo St., Lake Charles, LA 70601. The family would like to extend a special thank you to the "Open Door" Sunday School class of 1st United Methodist Church, Lake Charles, the caring staff of Rosewood Nursing Center, and Heart of Hospice.