A Celebration of Life for The Rev. Dr. Larry Dwight Shinn
January 16, 1942 ~ April 2, 2025
June 7, 2025 , 3:00 pm; Rev. Kent Gilbert, Pastor Union Church
Zach Hall, Piano & Organ; Peter Latona, Guest Organist
Piano Prelude
Introit Two Appalachian Hymns Gladys Jameson Peter Latona, organist
i. O Jesus, My Savior
ii. Christ Dying, Rising and Reigning
Gladys Jameson taught music at Berea College from 1916 to 1954 during, which she exercised her passion for discovering, sharing, and preserving folk music from across Appalachia. These pieces are among the many she collected and arranged so their beauty and character might never be lost to future generations.
Ringing of the Peace Bell Grandchildren and great grandchild
Welcome Rev. Kent Gilbert
Greetings on Behalf of Berea College Dr. Cheryl Nixon, President of Berea College
¨ Hymn Amazing Grace New Britain
1. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.
2. Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come: ’tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.
3. Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail, and mortal life shall cease: I shall possess, within the veil, a life of joy and peace.
4. The earth shall soon dissolve like snow, the sun forbear to shine; but God, who called me here below, will be forever mine.
A Legacy of Thought and Action
Scripture Reading Isaiah 55:8-13 Brett Shinn, Brother
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
For you shall go out in joy
and be led back in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall burst into song,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle,
and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial,
for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Reflection The Teacher, Builder and Visionary Chad Berry Berea College Vice President for Alumni, Communications and Philanthropy
Special Music The Lord Is My Light Dudley Buck Steve Bolster, Baritone and Emily North, Alto
A Life Rooted in God’s Love
Reading 1 John 4:7-12, 16b-21 Libby Culbreth Berea College Trustee Emerita
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us.
So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.
God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us. Those who say, “I love God,” and hate a brother or sister are liars, for those who do not love a brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.
Reflection A Life Lived in Love Joe Bridy Berea College Trustee
¨ Hymn Love Divine, All Loves Excelling Beecher
1. Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of Heav’n to Earth come down, Fix in us thy humble dwelling, All thy faithful mercies crown; Jesus, thou art all compassion, Pure, unbounded love thou art; Visit us with thy salvation, Enter ev’ry trembling heart
2. Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit Into ev’ry troubled breast; Let us all in thee inherit, Let us find thy promised rest; Take away our love of sinning; Alpha and Omega be; End of faith as its beginning, Set our hearts at liberty.
3. Finish, then, thy new creation; Pure and spotless let us be; Let us see thy great salvation Perfectly restored in thee; Changed from glory into glory Till in Heav’n we take our place, Till we cast our crowns before thee, Lost in wonder, love, and praise!
A Journey of Joy
Reading Dad Found Joy in the Journey by Peter Latona Melina Latona, Grandchild
If there were fish to catch, he fished
A book to read, he read
Something to be fixed or built, he rolled up his sleeves
A sports team to cheer on, he cheered
A card game in need of a serious player, oh, he was serious
An excellent dish, he savored it
Fine wine and spirits, he enjoyed that too
Bread to be baked, ribs to be smoked or chili to be crafted, he prepared it
He found joy in the journey.
A land or culture to explore, he traveled
Students to teach, he taught
Advice to give, he counseled
Knowledge to be shared, he lectured
Help needed, he gave
Organization in need of direction, he lead
A good cause worthy of his support, he rallied
Lives in need of inspiration, he inspired
Always finding joy in the journey.
Prayers needed, he prayed
A friend in need, he showed up
A brother or sister, he reached out
A daughter in need of a superhero, he wore the cape
A grandchild in need of support, he made the road trip, gave a standing ovation, even started a foundation
A great granddaughter in need of great grandpa’s arms, he relished the opportunity
The journey brought him great joy
A soul mate in search of a life together, they joined hands and created a family, and filled their lives and the lives of those around them with love.
Reflection The Roads He Built, The Paths We Walk Robyn Shinn & Christie Latona, Daughters
Song “Oh, You Can’t Get to Heaven” Trad., Andrew and Christopher Latona
A Rhythm of Love that Endures
Reading “On Death” by Kahlil Gibran Dylan Miller, Grandchild
Then Almitra spoke, saying, We would ask now of Death.
And he said:
You would know the secret of death.
But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life?
The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto the day cannot unveil the mystery of light.
If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life.
For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one.
In the depth of your hopes and desires lies your silent knowledge of the beyond;
And like seeds dreaming beneath the snow your heart dreams of spring.
Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity…
For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?
Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.
¨ Hymn I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry Borning Cry
1. I was there to hear your borning cry, I’ll be there when you are old. I rejoiced the day you were baptized, to see your life unfold. I was there when you were but a child, with a faith to suit you well; In a blaze of light you wandered off to find where demons dwell.
2. When you heard the wonder of the Word, I was there to cheer you on; You were raised to praise the living God, to whom you now belong. If you find someone to share your time and you join your hearts as one, I’ll be there to make your verses rhyme from dusk ’til rising sun.
3. In the middle ages of your life, not too old, no longer young, I’ll be there to guide you through the night, complete what I’ve begun. When the evening gently closes in, and you shut your weary eyes, I’ll be there as I have always been with just one more surprise.
4. I was there to hear your borning cry, I’ll be there when you are old. I rejoiced the day you were baptized, to see your life unfold.
Eulogy A Life of Feist and Faith Kent Gilbert Pastor, Union Church
Special Music You’ll Never Walk Alone Rodgers & Hammerstein Steve Bolster and Emily North
When you walk through a storm Hold your head up high And don’t be afraid of the dark At the end of a storm There’s a golden sky And the sweet silver song of a lark
Walk on through the wind Walk on through the rain For your dreams be tossed and blown Walk on, walk on With hope in your heart And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone Walk on, walk on With hope in your heart And you’ll never walk alone You’ll never walk alone.
Born to Eternal Life
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi led by Nancy Shinn
All: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and
it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.
Prayers of Commendation and Release Rev. Kent Gilbert
¨ Hymn How Great Thou Art How Great Thou Art
1. O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder Consider all the works thy hands hath made, I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder, Thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed;
Refrain: Then sings my soul, my Savior-God, to thee: How great thou art! How great thou art! Then sings my soul, my Savior-God, to thee: How great thou art! How great thou art!
2. When through the woods and forest glades I wander, And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees; When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze; [Refrain]
3. When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart! Then I shall bow in humble adoration And there proclaim: “My God, how great thou art!” [Refrain]
¨ Blessing
¨ Postlude
All are invited to join the family downstairs in the Community Room for a Reception to share light refreshments, fellowship and stories.
The Rev. Dr. Larry Dwight Shinn
January 16, 1942 ~ April 2, 2025
Dr. Larry D. Shinn, a visionary scholar of religion and transformative leader in higher education, passed away on April 2, 2025, at the age of 83. A man of purpose, compassion, and wisdom, Dr. Shinn leaves behind a profound legacy shaped by his intellectual rigor, moral clarity, and unwavering commitment to education, inclusivity, and service.
Born on January 16, 1942, in Alliance, Ohio, Dr. Shinn’s lifelong pursuit of knowledge and understanding began early. He graduated magna cum laude from Baldwin-Wallace College, earned his Master of Divinity summa cum laude from Drew University Theological School, and completed his Ph.D. in the History of Religions at Princeton University. His academic focus centered on Eastern religions and philosophies, leading to national recognition for his contributions to the study of Hinduism, Buddhism, and new religious movements. His notable works include Two Sacred Worlds, The Dark Lord, and Lustful Maidens and Ascetic Kings, as well as his co-editorship of The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions.
Dr. Shinn’s academic career spanned decades, beginning with fourteen years at Oberlin College, where he was named the William H. Danforth Professor of Religion. He later served as Dean and Vice President at Bucknell University before becoming the eighth president of Berea College in 1994. His 18-year tenure at Berea was marked by bold, mission-centered leadership that redefined the college’s approach to student learning, sustainability, and strategic growth.
Under Dr. Shinn’s leadership, Berea College flourished. He launched the Being and Becoming strategic plan, expanded global learning opportunities, strengthened academic and labor programs, and guided the college through the 2008 financial crisis while maintaining its historic commitment to tuition-free education. A champion of ecological responsibility, he founded the Sustainability and Environmental Studies program and led the development of Kentucky’s first LEED-certified building and the pioneering Ecovillage residential complex.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Dr. Shinn was a man deeply rooted in love—for learning, for justice, and for his family. He met his wife, Nancy, at Alliance High School, and their bond endured for 69 years, built on shared values and a mutual commitment to service. Together, they raised two daughters, Christie (Peter) and Robyn, and took immense joy in their grandchildren—Melina, Andrew, Dylan, Christopher, and Ethan—and great-granddaughter, Delilah.
Known by friends and colleagues as a “renaissance man” and “a force of nature,” Larry Shinn possessed a boundless curiosity and a contagious passion for life. Whether traveling, reading, playing cards, fishing, or teaching, he brought energy and generosity to everything he did. Even in retirement, he remained an active mentor, consulting for the Association of Governing Boards and authoring Strategic Thinking and Planning in Higher Education: A Focus on the Future (2017), helping institutions nationwide strengthen their mission-driven leadership.
Dr. Shinn once described his professional life’s work as rooted in three pillars: sustainability, student-centered learning, and strategic leadership. These values continue to echo in the halls of Berea College and in the lives of those he inspired.
Larry and Nancy Shinn loved and valued traveling. They believed international travel helped people expand their minds and appreciate different cultures. Their deep commitment to Berea’s mission extended beyond the campus, inspiring generations of students to embrace learning opportunities worldwide. To donate to The Larry and Nancy Shinn Fund for Education Abroad, please use the QR code or visit: https://murial.life/larryshinn.
Dr. Larry D. Shinn lived a life of enduring impact—a legacy of thought, action, love, and leadership. May his memory be both a blessing and a beacon.
Leave a Reply