Charles William McCordic ll
1930-2021
Our beloved dad, husband, grandfather and
great-grandfather, Charles William McCordic ll, moved to a new, very
upscale, and permanent Address at 10:50 a.m. on March 18.
With the new address comes a new and freed body, and the most
wonderful neighbours. But the very best part is the King
Himself, who is beaming with joy at Dad’s arrival! All that
was left here was his old suit, which, while cherished by all of us,
was 91 years old, pretty worn out, and badly needed
replacing.
Charles William McCordic II began his exceptional life
journey on March 6, 1930 in St Petersburg, Florida, born to older
parents – Ada May McCordic (who was 47), from Groton SD, and Charles
William McCordic I (aged 65) from Bosanquet, ON. He
was the only child of his previously widowed dad’s second
marriage, but he did have five adult half-siblings – Ivan, Iva, Grace,
George and James.
A former land developer and builder in Florida,
Charles’ father had lost his wealth as result of the
financial crash of 1929, and little Charles II was born in the last
(and unfinished) house his father had been building at the
time. The Depression was harsh on the small family,
and in 1939 the house had to be sold, and they moved to Alexandria VA,
where his mother, a former college professor, found work as a
secretary on the Fort Belvoir army base. After
Charles finished high school in Alexandria, the family was without a
home for several years, and living with various relatives, before
settling in Sarnia ON in 1950, where he became the sole supporter of
his elderly parents. After the death of his father
in 1952, Charles and his mother lived in a small trailer on a
cousin’s farm in the area.
Mentored by godly pastors, Charles experienced great
spiritual growth during those years. Convinced of a calling to
missions (and by the example of his mother’s brother, a
missionary in South Africa), he moved to Toronto in 1956 to begin
theological studies. There at Central Baptist
Seminary, Charles met Mary Townsend, a young nurse from Lachute,
Quebec, who was also preparing to be a missionary in
Africa. They were married in July of the following
year, and he continued his studies while his wife supported the family
as a nurse at the Hospital for Sick
Children. Charles Jr. came along in 1958, followed
by Ross in 1959, and John in 1961.
In 1963, as members of the Sudan United Mission,
the family left from Montreal for language study in France, where our
parents learned French by dint of hard work; and we children – well,
we learned by simply being kids. In 1964 the family
arrived in Chad, and was posted to a hospital and pastoral training
centre in Bébalem, a rural village in the south of the
country. And into another language, this time,
Ngambai. Tom, our youngest brother, came along in 1965, born in the
bedroom of the thatched house that was our new
home.
An old traditional « blessing » says, « May you
live in interesting times ». The years in Chad were certainly
that. While Dad was always the committed pastoral educator, the
country itself writhed in a series of violent changes and crises from
1973 on. From bloody persecution of Christians over
traditional initiation rituals, to an ongoing guerrilla war from 1978
until well into the 1990’s, the country only sporadically
and briefly ever felt « safe ».
Following a two-year battle with cancer, Mom, the love of
Dad’s life, died in the closing days of 1980; and Dad, in
profound mourning, moved with teenaged Tom out to Three Hills AB to
teach for two years at Prairie High School. In
1982, Dad married Bethel (Betsy) Burleigh, a fellow teacher, and in
1983 they returned to Chad – and to another spasm of civil
war violence. In the midst of everything from wild
rumours to being held at gunpoint, they continued to teach young
pastoral students in Moundou, the « capital city » of southern
Chad.
In 1988, Dad and Betsy finally left Chad for good, and from
1990 until his retirement in 1996 continued their teaching ministry
with TEAM in Mbabane, Eswatini (the former Swaziland), and Durban,
South Africa. Arriving in Durban, Dad found himself completing the
circle, serving not far from where his uncle Lathrop began his
ministry in 1908, and was buried in 1970.
Somehow across those years, Dad managed to complete a BTh, a
BA, a BEd, an MDiv, and even after his retirement in 1996, a ThM from
Regent College. In retirement he also wrote a two
volume reference work entitled « The Thematic Bible »,
published in digital format by Logos Bible
Software. He was still working on his autobiography
when his health began to decline severely this past
year.
Two generations of pastors in the church of Chad were trained
by Dad and his colleagues, and remember him today with deep affection
and respect (as so many have already communicated to us). My dad was
once described to me by pastor Thomas Kaye, a wise and respected
Chadian church leader, as, « the kindest missionary I ever
met ». He was also the
kindest father I ever
met.
Charles McCordic II is survived by his wife, Betsy, sons
Charles (Cindy), daughter-in-law Dawn, John (Paisley), and Tom
(Heidi), grandchildren Chad (Jen), Colin (Rachel), Cameron (Alicia),
Josh (Teagan), Kyle (Rebecca), David, and Ariel (Josh), and
great-grandchildren Skylar, Teia, Evie, Kaydence, William, Adeline,
and Rosalea. Preceding Dad Home and certainly part
of the « welcoming committee » are wife Mary, son Ross, and
granddaughter Danielle. And, of course, a wonderful crowd of Chadian
missionary and national colleagues and friends!
We are so grateful for your prayers, as well as for the truly
kind and competent medical staff at Riverbend Place and St
Mary’s Hospital. Please continue to pray for our
stepmother, Betsy, (97) who, with advanced Parkinson’s and
cognitive decline, is in long-term care at Riverbend Place in
Cambridge.
In lieu of flowers, we suggest that donations in
Dad’s memory may be directed to Heritage College and
Seminary Donate
– Heritage College and Seminary
(discoverheritage.ca), or to Emmanuel Bible
College Give
Today – Emmanuel Bible College
By his request, Dad’s body will be buried alongside
our mother’s in the little Ogdensburg Cemetery in Chatham
Township, Quebec. Due to current circumstances, a Memorial
Service will be planned at a later date.
Farewell, Dad – Until He comes!
19302021
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Charles William McCordic ll 19302021..
Décès pour la Ville:Cambridge, Province: Ontario