Clergy
The Rev. Donald J. True
Fr. True answered St. Mark’s Call in December, 2005 coming out of retirement and back on the front line in service to the Lord. If you read the rest of this, you will learn he has retired several times. But he is not very good at it – the Lord won’t let him.
This all started on August 7, 1937 in Union City, Tennessee when the first of four boys was born to the True family. Soon after Donald was born the family moved to Potosi, Missouri where the boys were raised. Donald enjoyed and played basketball and baseball in high school graduating in the spring of 1955.
Immediately upon graduation from high school Donald enlisted in the United States Marine Corps serving for four years and rising to the rank of sergeant. His service was with military police units, and he was stationed in the Philippines, Okinawa, Japan, Thailand, and Laos. Fortunately – no combat duty.
During the time Donald was serving in the Marine Corps, the True family moved to Wingo Kentucky. When he came home in 1959, he noticed - almost at once – that in the family of the neighbors across the road was one very cute little red head. Using offensive tactics learned in service a campaign was launched, and Patricia Veatch and Donald True were married in 1960 (Marines don’t lose).
This is not a wedding picture.
The newly weds set up housekeeping in Union City, Tennessee. Donald worked in various jobs, and attended classes at night. In 1967 he joined Levi-Strauss & Company as an engineering trainee at their plant in Maryville, Tennessee, and thus began a remarkable career. As with most large organizations promotions and moves are synonymous. So Donald served as plant manager at Virginia and Texas locations. In 1975 the transfer was to San Francisco, California as Vice President of the Youthware Division. In the fall of 1985 he took early retirement from Levi-Strauss (this is # 1).
Then Donald accepted a position in Toronto, Canada, in 1985 as Vice President of Operations of the BayBee Sleepwear Co. (a Levi-Strauss contractor). The family begins attending a United Church of Canada parish and Donald was baptized in 1985. The Lord was beginning to put pressure on Donald. So in 1987 Donald retired form BayBee (this is # 2) moving to Mayfield, Kentucky.
In Mayfield, Patricia and Donald purchased a crafts and fabrics store in downtown Mayfield named “Crafti Ideas”. They expanded this business, but something wasn’t right so they sold it in 1990 and moved back to their home in Concord, California (this is # 3).
It is appropriate to point out that during all this hullabaloo, four children were raised:
Donald J. True, Jr. (Joe) Concord, CA
Deborah Starkey Mayfield, KY
Dawn Mohler Mayfield, KY
David Aaron True San Francisco, CA
Back in California Donald tried his hand at banking, then real estate, finally winding up as a paralegal with a law firm. In 1994 Patricia and Donald joined St. Martin of Tours Anglican Church in Concord. This parish was affiliated with the Anglican Province of Christ the King (APCK). The couple became very involved with the activities at St. Martin’s, and Donald became a lay reader under the tutelage of the rector, Fr. Charles Slagel.
Holy Communion
Finally heeding the Lord’s Call, Donald was ordained deacon at St. Martin’s in 1997. Shortly after his ordination he retired from the law firm (this is # 4) entering full time student status at St. Joseph of Arimathia Theological Seminary (APCK) in Berkeley, California. During the time at seminary he served as deacon at St. Peter’s Pro-Cathedral (APCK) in Oakland, California. After graduation Donald True was ordained to the priesthood on January 19, 2002 becoming rector of St. Martin of Tours. Fr. True retired from St. Martin’s in October 2004 returning again to Mayfield (this is # 5).
One word describes these folks - Vagabond - in the best sense of that word, of course.
Off to Synod
We get to enjoy these interesting people every Sunday (sometimes more often).
Why don’t you come and enjoy with us?
If you would like to call Fr. True his number is 270-247-7753
To email him click here