Obituary of William Nicolas Colwell

Rev. William N. Colwell, on September 12, 2022 passed over into the eternity for which he had helped so many to prepare. Bill was fittingly born on Christmas Day in 1922 to William Evans Colwell and Eunice Ann Richards Colwell, and he came so very close to reaching his oft-stated and lofty goal of attaining 100 years of age. He was married to Mary Elizabeth (Ruch) Colwell on June 24, 1944 in Louisville, Kentucky. Bill spent his childhood and early youth in his birthplace of Zion, Illinois, where he and his family were completely immersed in the life of the church. He followed those years by proudly attending the University of Illinois, where he was a decorated product of their ROTC program. After his Army service during WWII, including a stint in Germany, he returned home and graduated from McCormick Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree. Upon the completion of his studies, he headed west to accept the pastorate of two churches in rural Wyoming, but he was then recalled to active duty in the Army, becoming a chaplain during the Korean War. At the end of that second round of military service, Bill, and his now growing family, relocated to an urban church in Yonkers, New York, where he had taken on the role of lead pastor. During the stay in Yonkers, he obtained an additional Master's Degree in Religious Education from Union Theological Seminary. All told, throughout the forty-five years of his vocational ministry career, Bill served in twelve Presbyterian churches, as well as leading both the Denver and Detroit Presbyteries as their Moderator. On three occasions he was also elected to be the Stated Clerk of the Synod of Colorado/Utah. In his middle years, Bill became fascinated by the genealogy of both his family and Mary's, and his decades of efforts in that area ultimately culminated in the reception of the family, and of the extended family, into eligibility for the Daughters and Sons of the American Revolution and the Mayflower Society. He took immense pride in this pursuit, and in the detective work required to unearth the extended ancestry of both families. Bill was a preacher and a teacher, a pastor and a friend, a counselor and an advocate, a poet and an author, a historian and a researcher, a lyricist and a hymn writer, a reader and a student, a jokester and a humorist, a nerd and a geek (but only in the best ways), and a brother, a son, a father and a grandfather. And if anyone had taken the opportunity to spend any time with him at all, they would also have immediately realized that he was the consummate storyteller as well. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary; by his parents; his wonderful brother, John Wesley Colwell; and his tender-hearted sister, Florence Elizabeth (Colwell) Rusch. He is survived by his children, Linda Ann (Colwell) Rutherford, Nancy Lee (Colwell) Gay, and Paul Nicolas (Mary Kathryn Davison) Colwell; and by his five grandchildren; thirteen great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren. Bill's family would like to extend a special thanks to his devoted caregivers, Dawn Robinson, Nancy and Jorden Cooper, and a host of extraordinary others down through the years. And an additional thanks must be offered to the armada of medical practitioners, physicians and office personnel who contributed invaluably to Bill's medical care and well-being, and who hopefully enjoyed his unique approach to his medical maintenance. A memorial service will be scheduled at the Allen Park Presbyterian Church in Allen Park, Michigan, and the details of this service will be posted once they are available. Bill's remains will be inurned in the columbarium in the Allen Park Presbyterian Church in Allen Park, Michigan. In lieu of flowers, Memorial Contributions may be sent to the following, St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 3096 South Sheridan Boulevard, Denver, Colorado 80227, where Bill was the founding pastor; The First Presbyterian Church, PO Box 498 Leadville, Colorado 80461, where Bill coordinated the project to construct a new church building; The Allen Park Presbyterian Church, 7101 Park Avenue, Allen Park, Michigan 48101, which Mary and Bill had always considered to be "Home"; or The Prostate Cancer Foundation, 1250 Fourth Street, Santa Monica, California 90401. From the Pilgrim's Progress and the top of the list of Bill's Favorites: "Mr Valiant-for-truth was taken with a summons. When he understood it, he called for his friends, and told them of it. Then said he, "I am going to my Fathers, and tho' with great difficulty I am got hither, yet now I do not repent me of all the Trouble I have been at to arrive where I am. My Sword I give to him that shall succeed me in my Pilgrimage, and my Courage and Skill to him that can get it. My Marks and Scars I carry with me, to be a witness for me that I have fought His battles who now will be my Rewarder." When the day that he must go hence was come, many accompanied him to the Riverside, into which as he went he said, "Death, where is thy Sting?" And as he went down deeper he said, "Grave, where is thy Victory?" So he passed over, and all the Trumpets sounded for him on the other side." We'll see you soon, Dad, just over on the other side.