Rev. Richard Maxwell Fewkes

The Rev. Richard M. Fewkes, 89, died peacefully May 15, 2026 surrounded by his loved ones. Richard was born and brought up in Springfield, Mass, and graduated from Springfield Technical High School in 1955. He earned his B.A. in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst (1959), and his Bachelor of Divinity and Master of Sacred Theology in Pastoral Psychology from Andover Newton (1964-65). Richard served three Unitarian Universalist churches as Minister: Middleboro, MA (1964-69); Norwell, MA (1969-2000); and Bridgewater, MA (2000-02). The First Parish in Norwell, MA named him Minister Emeritus in 2000. He authored a number of meditation manuals for the church and a book of sermons reflecting his 31years of ministry in Norwell.

During his ministry in Norwell he also served for a few months as Minister-On-Loan to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Harford, County, Md., and later on as a Pulpit Supply Minister at the Unitarian Chapel in Newcastle-Under-Lyme in England. During the 1990s he made four visits to Norwell’s Partner Church in Kadacs, Transylvania/Romania. During the course of his three decades of ministry in Norwell Richard also supervised over a dozen UU theological students in Field Education training for the ministry. Richard had a special interest in the study of parapsychology and the understanding of dreams and led many workshops on those subjects over the years. He also enjoyed playing pop piano and composing his own ballads and songs both secular and religious. Richard was renowned for doing pulpit dramatizations of famous Unitarian Universalist anti-slavery leaders like Samuel May and Theodore Parker, and for his annual “Summer and Movies Forever” sermon in the fall, and also an annual “Social Concerns Portfolio” on issues of ethics, social justice and reform.

Richard served on a number of denominational organizations and committees. He was a Founding Member and Past President of the UU Psi Symposium (1969-2009), an organization devoted to the study of psychic and mystical experiences. He was Past President and Chair of: the Ballou-Channing District Board of UU Churches, the District Social Responsibility Committee, and the District Ministers Chapter, and was a former member of the UU Urban Ministry Board in Boston. He served as the first Vice-President of the UU Partner Church Council, and for 8 yrs. as Ministerial Settlement Rep. for District churches in search of new ministers. After his retirement he served twice as a Board member of the UU Retired Ministers and Partners Association.

Richard was married for 41 yrs. to the late Elinor P. Fewkes who died in 2009. He was predeceased by his father Maxwell (and Barbara) Fewkes of Springfield, MA and by his mother Elinor Lovelace formerly of Agawam, MA. For the past two decades or more he has resided with his partner and dearest friend, Connie Joy Johnson, in Sagamore Beach, Bourne, MA. He is survived by: one sister, Maxine Batrawi of Naples, FL, and four children—Charles (and Karen) Buckley of Cape May Court House, NJ; James (and Donna) Buckley of Plymouth, MA; Kenneth (and Barbara) Buckley of Needham, MA; and Jennifer (and Daniel) Loring of Stoneham, MA—and also by ten grandchildren (Adam Buckley, Andrew Buckley, Nathan Buckley, Kenneth Buckley Jr., Katelyn Buckley, Eric Buckley, Allison Cabral, Julia Cabral, Elijah Loring, Marlena Loring), and five great-grandchildren (Claire, Caroline and Mary Buckley, and Jonathan and Hannah Buckley.)

A Memorial Service and Celebration of Life Reception will be held on July 11th at 11 a.m. at First Parish in Norwell, 24 River Street, Norwell, MA 02061. All are welcome to attend. Interment will be private. Contributions in his memory may be made to the: First Parish in Norwell Student Ministry Fund, 24 River St., Norwell, MA 02061. (Funds to be used for the future training and education of theological students and student ministers at the First Parish in Norwell, Mass.)