Monday, June 05, 2006

Reverend Cannon Clinton Jones

Once in a lifetime you might meet somebody who really makes a difference in this world and I had the honor to meet such a person, the Reverend Cannon Clinton Jones; he also was a Gentleman in the truest sense. Cannon Jones passed away over the weekend.
I first met him when I went to the Twenty Club, he would be sitting listening as we talked about our troubles and once in awhile he would ask us a question or make a comment, but most of the time he just sat there listening in his black suit and Roman collar with his legs crossed.
Sometimes when we didn’t have too much to talk about and if we were lucky, we got him to talk about the early days of the Twenty Club ( circa 1974 ) and before that Project H ( circa 1960’s ). Project H was a support group for homosexuals that he moderated and it got its name back when it use to meet at the YMCA. They had a sign there point to the meeting room that said “Homosexual Meeting” with an arrow, well the management of the “Y” asked for a sign that was a little more discreet so they came up with “Project H”, It was from those roots that the Twenty Club sprang up and along with them GICNE (Gender Identity Clinic of New England). He also wrote numerous books and articles on homosexualism and transsexualism that are archived at Central Connecticut State University library. He was also on the Harry Benjamin International Association on Gender Dysphoria.
Cannon Jones will be missed and I am proud to be counted as "One of his girls".

JONES, Rev. Canon Clinton R. The Reverend Canon Clinton R. Jones, 89, of Manchester, died peacefully, Saturday (June 3, 2006) at his home. He was born November 8, 1916 in Brookfield, son of Clinton R. and Harriette (Morehouse) Jones. He was a graduate of Danbury High School 1934 and Bard College (Columbia University) 1938 and the General Theological Seminary, N.Y.C. in 1941. He received and honorary Doctors Degree from Bard College in 1966 and earned a second Masters Degree from the New York Theological Seminary in 1969 as well as certification as a pastoral counselor from the Post Graduate Center for Mental Health in N.Y.C. After his ordination in the Episcopal Church, he began his ministry in St. James' Church in New London and also as a vicar of St. James' Church in Poquetanuck. In 1944-45 he served as a Chaplain (Lt. J.G.) in the U.S. Maritime Service stationed at the Cadet School in San Mateo, CA. In 1946 he joined the staff of Christ Church Cathedral in Hartford and served as Canon until his retirement in 1986. He was a supply and interim priest until 1991 when he became a part-time member of the Greater Hartford Regional Ministry. During the early years of his ministry, he was much involved with Boy Scouting and served in many leadership roles. In the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut, he served on the Dept. of Christian Education and became Director of Youth for the Diocese. He was a member of the Executive Council, the Standing Committee, the Commission on Ministry and the Committee on Human Sexuality. He served the National Church on the National Youth Commission and the Bishops' Task Force on Sexuality. For the last 20 years of his Cathedral tenure, he also maintained a counseling ministry with special concern for those of the sexual/gender minorities. For many years he was a Trustee of the Bard College, served as National Chaplain of the Guild of St. Barnabas for Nurses and was Coordinator of the Gender Identity Clinic of New England. He served for many years as Chaplain to the Kiwanis Club of Hartford. He authored and published three books and delivered several papers at the Harry Benjamin International Assoc. on Gender Dysphoria. He lectured extensively throughout the U.S. and Great Britain. He was widely traveled and conducted several tours in the U.S., Canada and abroad. In later years there were many visits to Ireland. He is survived by Kenneth Woods of Manchester, his closest cousin Elizabeth Wind of Old Saybrook and her daughters, Barbara Michael of South Glastonbury and Janet Fiorelli of Lyme. Funeral services will be held Wednesday June 7 at 11 a.m. at Christ Church Cathedral, Main and Church Streets in Hartford. Internment and graveside services will take place in the Central Cemetery in Brookfield on Thursday at 2 p.m. There are no calling hours. Contributions may be made to the Memorial Fund of Christ Church Cathedral 45 Church St., Hartford, CT. 06103. The Holmes Funeral Home, 400 Main St., Manchester has care of arrangements. To sign the online register book go to www.holmes-watkinsfuneralhomes.com.

Published in the Hartford Courant on 6/5/2006.

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