Obituary of Nathaniel Harrington Mair

Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Harrington Mair (93 years), son of Bartlett Mair and Laura H. Yorston, born Feb. 7, 1926, in Georgetown, P.E.I., the eldest of a family of six, died on August 13th at Whisperwood Villa, Charlottetown. Nathan attended Georgetown High School; Prince of Wales College, Charlottetown; Mount Allison University, (B.A.); Emmanuel College, Toronto, (B.Th); Union Theological Seminary, New York (S.T.M. from Union and Ph.D. from Columbia Univ.). Awarded honorary D.D. from and was also a Professor at United Theological College, Montreal. Nathan was also Personnel Minister of the Montreal-Ottawa Conference of The United Church of Canada, and served on committees at many levels of the church including the World Methodist Council. Nathan taught school in the early days (Murray Harbour South, PEI, Georgetown, PEI, Great Village, N.S.). He was ordained by Maritime Conference of The United Church of Canada in 1951; served pastoral charges in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and in New York State. Nathan married Violet Florence Langland, missionary to Japan, in 1968. They were married for 30 happy years and traveled the world widely together. Vi died in a car accident in 1997. Nathan had a passion for history. He wrote many books and articles on religious education, congregational history and after retirement wrote many publications on the history of his hometown, Georgetown, PEI. Nathan was a regular at the PEI Archives in Charlottetown as he researched his topics. Nathan was preceded in death by his father, Bartlett, and his mother, Laura as well as his wife, Vi, and brothers, James (Laura), Stillman "Tim" (Margaret), Stirling and his sister Beatrice. He is survived by his brother Lorin and his foster sons Roy Johnson (Diane), Andrew Kojo Osusu (Julie), Tobias Mwandala (Gloria) and sister-in-law, Joan (Stirling). Also left to mourn are his nephews Timothy Mair (Dorothy Macdonald) and Bart Mair (Lisa); his nieces Krishna Golas (Nathan), Therese Mair, Elizabeth Mair Grant (Nick), Jana Lillies (Darren) and Lisa Avolese (Salvadore) as well as many great nieces and nephews, honorary grandchildren and dear friends All who knew Nathan remarked on his depth of love. His love for humanity and for life and for his God. A funeral service will be held on August 20 at 10:30am at Trinity United Church in Charlottetown. Service will be conducted by his dear friend, Rev. Bob Lockhart. Interment at a later date in St. David’s United Church Cemetery, Georgetown. Memorial donations to Trinity United Church or the St. David’s United Church in Georgetown would be much appreciated.