Bishop Hays Rockwell Obituary

Hays Hamilton Rockwell, former Episcopal Bishop of Missouri and rector of St. James Church in New York City died in his sleep at his family home in Rhode Island. He was 88.

For nearly seven decades, Bishop Rockwell served as a clergyman, and the Episcopal Church was a central part of his professional, personal and spiritual life. He was also an educator, an author, a dedicated husband and father; and a passionate advocate for a variety of causes which included civil rights in the United States, the plight of the world's refugees and bringing an end to the apartheid regime in South Africa.

He also worked to bring peace to Northern Ireland by promoting initiatives that brought Catholics and Protestants together. He was a staunch supporter of including women and gay people as Episcopal clergy.

He is survived by his wife Linda, four children Keith (Michelle), Stephen (Melanie), Sarah Strauss (Andy) and Martha Swindler, eight grandchildren and one great granddaughter. In addition, he is survived by his brother Bruce, of Grosse Pointe, Michigan and Del Ray, Florida.

Born in Detroit in 1936 to Walter and Kathryn (McElroy) Rockwell, he attended Cranbrook School, where he was senior prefect and captain of the wrestling team. He graduated from Brown University in 1958 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature.

Initially he considered attending law school but decided instead on a career in the ministry and enrolled at the Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He received his graduate degree in theology from ETS in 1961. That same year he took a job teaching sacred studies and serving as Chaplain at St. George's School, Middletown, Rhode Island, where he was ordained as deacon in 1961 and as a priest in 1962.

During his time at St. George's, Bishop Rockwell worked with other members of the faculty to integrate the all-white prep school, an undertaking that inspired him to write Steal Away, Steal Away Home, a novel which was published by Doubleday in 1985. In 1966 he took a year's sabbatical and attended Oriel College, Oxford where he studied the work of George Herbert, the 17th century English poet and priest.

In 1969, he became the chaplain at the University of Rochester. In 1971, he became dean at Bexley Hall Theological Seminary, a part of the Colgate Rochester Divinity School, where he served until 1976. During his time in Rochester, Bishop Rockwell was active in the campaign against the Vietnam war, supporting student activists and venturing to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in support of the Berrigan Brothers, Philip and Daniel, Catholic Priests and peace activists who were on trial for destroying draft records.

After Bexley Hall, Rockwell became the rector of St. James Church on Madison Ave. During his time as rector, Rockwell avidly – if often subtly – championed ideals of importance to him including the support for the homeless, those who had been incarcerated and those who had faced discrimination in their daily lives. He worked with his great friend the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Nobel laureate, to raise awareness in New York of the evils of apartheid. Bishop Rockwell travelled often to South Africa, often with Linda, to show support for the oppressed people of color living under that regime.

In 1990, Rockwell was elected Bishop Coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri, and he became bishop in 1992, where he served for a decade before retiring. In 2003, Rockwell threw his support behind the consecration as bishop of New Hampshire of his friend Gene Robinson. Robinson was the first openly gay priest to be made bishop in the Episcopal church and although his election led to a schism in the church, Rockwell's support for him never wavered.

After stepping down as bishop of Missouri, Rockwell retired to his beloved Rhode Island where he wrote, reflected and travelled, often visiting his children in Switzerland, California, New Jersey and Cape Cod. He served on the boards of the University of Rochester, St. George's School, and the Union Theological Seminary and was the Chairman of the Church Publishing Company.

He played the cornet with enthusiasm and was a devoted fan of jazz, especially Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke. He loved reading, tennis (particularly the Newport Hall of Fame Open), being by the sea and engaging in political discourse. He was a long-time member of the Century Association in New York City, the US Council on Foreign Relations, the Hope Club of Providence and The Dunes' Club of Narragansett, Rhode Island.

A Funeral service will be held on Friday, August 8, 2025, at 10:00 am, St. George's School Chapel, 372 Purgatory Road, Middletown, RI. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the Rockwell family requests that any donations be sent to Episcopal Relief and Development, 815 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10017, www.episcopalrelief.org.