Thomas Crawford Short, in his 83rd year, died on August 1, 2018.
He was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He was the first of two children born to Hall N. Short and Dorothy E. (Cahall) Short. He was reared in Perryville, Maryland and graduated from Perryville High School in 1954. During his youth he became an Eagle Scout and he captained the Perryville High School basketball team which won the Maryland State Championship in 1954.
He attended Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland where he received a B.A. Degree in 1958. Three years later he graduated from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC with a Master of Sacred Divinity Degree. In 1986 he received his Doctor of Ministry Degree from Palmer Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Short was a member of the Peninsula Delaware Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and served churches in North East, Maryland; Seaford, Delaware; New Castle, Delaware before becoming the pastor of Aldersgate Church in Wilmington, Delaware where he served for 17 years, retiring in 1999. After retiring he taught homiletics in the Course of Study Program at Wesley Seminary in Washington, DC for 12 years. He was the author of three books and numerous articles.
He was a member of the Wilmington Rotary Club for 30 years and active in the Boy Scouts of America for over 60 years. He received a variety of awards for his leadership in the church and community, including a coveted Distinguished Eagle Scout Award given to adults who achieved the award of Eagle as a youth and went on to distinguish themselves as community leaders. From scouting he also received the Silver Beaver Award. In Rotary he was a multiple Paul Harris Fellow. He founded the Dunkle/Mackey Endowment Fund which provides preaching seminars for clergy. His hobbies included tennis, fishing, walking, gardening, and shooting pool. In 2011 Tom and Mary moved to Cokesbury Village in Hockessin, Delaware and he was happy and active in that community until the time of his death.
Tom is survived by Mary Catherine Hornbarger, his wife of 60+ years, and three children: Donna Marie (husband, Ron Barnwell), Curtis Hall (wife, Charlene), and Leanne Russell (husband, Reinder Vanderschoot). He is survived by five grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, and his sister, Lee Hayward.
A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, August 25, 2018 at 11:00 am at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 2313 Concord Pike, Wilmington, Delaware.
For memorials and in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Thomas C. Short Scholarship, Wesley Theological Seminary, 4500 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 or Boy Scouts of America, Delmarva Council, 100 W. 10th St, Suite 915, Wilmington, Delaware 19801.
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