Rev. James R. Nace

York—Rev. James R. Nace, died Wednesday, July 9, 2014 at the York Lutheran Home at Sprenkle Drive. He was the husband of Iva B. (Becker) Nace. The couple celebrated 63 years of marriage on June 9th. A Celebration of Life Service will be 11 AM, Saturday, August 2, 2014 at Trinity Lutheran Church, 243 Hellam Street, Wrightsville, with the Rev. Barbara Caruana officiating. A visitation will be from 10-11 AM, Saturday at the church. Burial will be private at the convenience of the family. Heffner Funeral Chapel & Crematory, Inc., is in charge of arrangements. Born December 17, 1928 in W. York, he was the son of the late Russell A. and Viola G. (Keller) Nace. Rev. Nace graduated from William Penn High School in 1946. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree from Albright College, Reading PA in 1950 and his Bachelor of Divinity Degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg in 1953. He was ordained by the Central Pennsylvania Synod of the Lutheran Church in Messiah Lutheran Church, Philadelphia on May 27, 1953. From June 1953 to July 1956, Rev. Nace served the Rossville Lutheran Parish in Northern York County. In August 1956, he became the Pastor of Salem Lutheran Church, Jacobus, serving until May 1963 at which time he assumed the position of Associate Pastor at Zion Lutheran Church of Penbrook, Harrisburg. On August 22, 1965, Rev. Nace was extended a call to pastor Trinity Lutheran Church in Wrightsville, a position he assumed on October 3, 1965, the Sunday of the World Wide Communion. Whether it was the lure of fishing in the Susquehanna River, the challenges of the congregation or the host of loyal friends he made in the community, Rev. Nace served at Trinity for the next 20 years (1965-1985). In 1985 he became the first full time Chaplain at the York Lutheran Home, serving there until his retirement in 1994. He also served as a part time funeral associate at Heffner Funeral Chapels & Crematory, Inc., for nearly 10 years during his retirement. Rev. Nace was active in many church and community related organizations, including serving as President of the Wrightsville Baseball for Boys, helped to organize and was Team Representative of the Eastern American Legion Baseball Team, was a charter member of the Wrightsville Recreation Board. In addition to his wife, Rev. Nace is also survived by five children, Martha A. Krotzer and husband, Charles, Todd A. Nace and wife, Mary Jo, David A. Nace and wife, Sherry, Sally E. Kauffman and husband, Bradley and Suzanne E. Nace-Jones and wife, Kathy; 10 grandchildren, Aubri Sweeney and husband Jeff, Nathan Krotzer and wife, Bethany, Austin Krotzer and wife, Olga, Amanda Mountz and husband, Dan, Lydia Wissler and husband, Michael, Jennifer Test, Kayla Nace, Nicole Noll and husband, Matt, Katelynn Strittmatter and husband, Andrew and Taryn Nace; 16 great grandchildren, and a daughter-in-law, Susan Panebaker. He was preceded in death by a son, Timothy J. Nace. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church, 243 Hellam Street, Wrightsville, PA 17368. Rev. Nace’s family would like to thank the staff of the York Lutheran Home at Sprenkle Drive for all their dedicated care and support.