{"id":26,"date":"2025-04-07T07:12:18","date_gmt":"2025-04-07T07:12:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/authorwebservices-gem2.net\/BalboaPress\/863403\/?page_id=26"},"modified":"2025-04-22T09:15:20","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T09:15:20","slug":"about-the-author","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/authorwebservices-gem2.net\/BalboaPress\/863403\/about-the-author\/","title":{"rendered":"About the Author"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Reverend James George Todd, Jim, Grampa T, Uncle Jim, Mr. T\u2014 man of many names\u2014a man who loved his family and friends. Jim graduated from Lawrence High School in 1954, Union College, Barbourville, KY (where his classmates voted him \u201cMr. Union\u201d in 1958), and Boston University School of Theology and was ordained as a United Methodist pastor in 1961. He touched thousands of lives through various forms of ministry. Jim served United Methodist churches in Swampscott, Dorchester, Lynn, North Andover, North Reading, and Cuttyhunk. He served as the Director of Rolling Ridge United Methodist Conference Center in North Andover for 11 years and was the District Superintendent of the Metro Boston North District for six years.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Jim had a passion for social justice. His compassionate heart extended to young people in need and a life-long commitment to anti-racism and peace activism. He worked towards the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in the church and spent countless hours on the streets with the Merrimack Valley People for Peace, protesting the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq. He is remembered for his warm hospitality, welcoming the stranger, his gentle and loving ways, and his sermons reminding us that we are required to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Jim\u2019s final act of service was donating his body to the Boston University School of Medicine for medical education and research.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Jim\u2019s love for music included drumming, dancing, and being a DJ for youth groups, nursing homes, community events, and dances that raised thousands of scholarship dollars for youth to go to summer camps. His love for the outdoors included camping, skiing in Tuckerman\u2019s Ravine area, and mountain climbing with family and friends including week-long backpacking trips for youth and adults. Known as a keen basketball player since his days at the Lawrence YMCA, he also coached in the Andover Church Basketball League, played third base for Rolling Ridge in the North Andover Softball League, and loved cornhole and racquetball.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

His family remembers him for yard sales, trash-picking, enjoying ice cream, playing pinochle, and re-gifted Christmas presents wrapped specially chosen recycled comics from the newspaper.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Mary Todd worked for over 20 years as an administrator and as the Director of Career Services at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston. She has a B.A. from Union College in Barbourville, KY (now Union Commonwealth University) with a double major in religion and philosophy; an M.Ed. from Cambridge College in Cambridge, MA (now Bay Path University) with a concentration in organizational development. She has a passion for social justice and has been involved in many grassroots peace-related organizations. She has been an active member of Merrimack Valley People for Peace for years, and as such, she and Jim were honored to welcome many refugee families from Iraq as they resettled in the United States.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Mary enjoys classical music, taking watercolor and Zentangle classes in her senior facility, and taking photos with her iPhone. She also enjoys helping people. Currently, Mary is a hospice volunteer and an End-of-Life Doula. She has self-published several booklets of her Haiku poems. Mary lives in North Andover, Massachusetts.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You may visit with Mary and share your thoughts, comments or questions via email at marytodd@compassroselegacy.org<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Reverend James George Todd, Jim, Grampa T, Uncle Jim, Mr. T\u2014 man of many names\u2014a man who loved his family and friends. Jim graduated from Lawrence High School in 1954, Union College, Barbourville, KY (where his classmates voted him \u201cMr. Union\u201d in 1958), and Boston University School of Theology and was ordained as a … <\/p>\n

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