Venerable Rev. Canon Jerome J. Nedelka

The Venerable Reverend Canon Jerome J. Nedelka died on Sunday evening, December 8, surrounded by his family and much love.

The retired Archdeacon of Suffolk County for the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island who, in retirement, served the Diocese as the Bishop’s Chaplain to Retired Clergy and Families, is survived by the former Ruth Falbee, his wife of 64 years [October 9, 1960], their two sons Andrew (his wife, Patmarie and daughter Anastasia) and Nicholas (his wife Anne and their children Elizabeth and Nate) a cousin, Carole Rogner, along with nearly a dozen nieces, nephews. Grandnieces and Grandnephews. The third child of Marie (nee Grolich) and Frantisek “Frank” J. Nedelka, was born in Flushing, NY, on February 27, 1938. “Uncle Jerry” was preceded in death by his two older brothers, Frank “Junior” [July 1927- April 2020] and Jack [December 1932- September 2024.]

Nedelka, a proud alum of Flushing High School in his native Queens, NY, graduated with a marketing degree from Wagner College on Staten Island, but after several years in the business world, he felt called to ministry; a convert to the Episcopal church he entered Philadelphia Divinity School.

Following his December 1964 Ordination as Deacon in Garden City, NY’s Cathedral of the Incarnation, headquarters of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island, and his subsequent ordination in June 1965 to the College of Clergy and full priesthood, the newly-minted prelate was assigned to All Saints parish in Bayside, NY. His next assignment was as pastor of Christ the King Church, East Meadow, Long Island. Among his first orders of ministry was overseeing the installation of the congregation’s long-anticipated steeple, the capstone to the Sanctuary building project marking a “permanence” to the once-nomadic existence of the congregation founded in 1950.

His success at Christ the King prompted a new assignment: that of the Eleventh Rector of St. Mark’s parish in Islip, NY, with its jewel-box sanctuary built in 1880 by William K. Vanderbilt, featuring eight stained glass windows personally created by Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Soon after Father Nedelka’s installation, a serial arsonist began targeting Long Island churches; some 10 days before Christmas, 1989, St. Mark’s became the crime spree’s latest victim. Despite the heroic efforts of the Fire Department crews responding to the mutual aid call, the historic Sanctuary suffered extensive damage; all eight Tiffany windows became just so many hundreds of pieces of colored glass lying on the ground.

Throwing off despair, and guided by a pair of historians who had photographed the Tiffany windows for a history of the church they were writing, along with an expert in stained glass restoration who counted the U.S. Capitol among his clients, the parishioners banded together in a concerted effort to collect every piece of the fallen windows. Interviewed by New York Times for a piece published December 17, 1989, on the meticulous rescue effort of sifting through the frozen mix of ashes, mud and new-fallen snow, Rev. Nedelka praised his congregants’ tenacity.

''The parishioners have just been incredible,'' said the Rev. Jerome J. Nedelka. ''They have been searching in there, down on their hands and knees, for 8 to 10 hours a day.''

In a 1998 New York Times profiles regarding the declining number of Protestant worshipers on Long Island being described as “a crisis,” Nedelka was realistic.

“Some churches have drawn on their prestige and status as local architectural landmarks to meet unexpected expenses. [Nedelka said] St. Mark's faced crisis when it was extensively damaged in an arson fire in 1989.

“Some of the damage was covered by insurance, but the church also incurred substantial costs. Church and community members helped meet the expense.

''We rebuilt it exactly the way it was, with some modern necessities, and that cost us an extra $1 million,'' Mr. Nedelka said. ''Fortunately because of the church history and prestige in the community we were able to raise most of it. But the upkeep and maintenance of older buildings is significant and you need the kind of congregation that is interested in doing what is needed.''

Mr. Nedelka said the church recently spent $45,000 [upwards of $88,000 in today’s dollars] to replace windows ‘despite doing all the work ourselves.'”

Living on the eastern end of Long Island, Jerry, Ruth and their young family grew to love spending time at their “get away” location overlooking, and playing in and around, Long Island Sound. The family migrated to owning small boats, with the Reverend Canon accepting the invitation to “Bless the Fleet” as chaplain of the Mt Sinai Yacht Club along with his similar role serving as chaplain to Islip Fire Department.

When Jerry and Ruth moved to their Long Island Sound overlook full-time as retirees, their love of boating translated into ownership of a 20-foot Grady-White, wryly christened Altar Ego.

The family invites visitors for viewing this Thursday, December 12, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. then from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the O. B. Davis Funeral Home, 1001 NY25-A, Miller Place,

The life of the Venerable Rev. Canon Jerome J. Nedelka will be celebrated in the Cathedral of the Incarnation, in Garden City, NY, on Friday, December 13, commencing at 11:00am. Inurnment in the crypt of St. Mark’s Church, Islip, NY, will occur at a future date.