The Reverend Victor LeRoy Redfoot, 89, passed from this life on November 30, 2018, at Passavant Retirement Community, surrounded by his family.
He was born on April 6, 1929, to Raymond and Marguerite Redfoot, the first of eleven children. On June 15, 1951, he married the love of his life, Stella Jane Ansell, an event that he described as “the greatest thing that ever happened to me.” Victor and Stella were married for 54 years, until her death in 2005. He is survived by three of their four children, Donald (Kathy Kenyon) Redfoot of Red Lodge, MT, Kathy (David) Himelrick of Baton Rouge, LA, and Joel (Carolyn) Redfoot of Wexford, PA; and son-in-law, Philip Orr of Mableton, GA; seven grandchildren, Kenyon Redfoot, Emma Redfoot, Jason Redfoot, Megan Redfoot, Kristopher Proctor, Jennifer Proctor Romanosky, and Matthew Orr; and four great-grandchildren, as well as seven brothers and sisters and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Stella; his daughter, Amy Redfoot Orr; daughter-in-law, Debra Shipley Redfoot; and two brothers and a sister.
Reverend Redfoot was a man of faith who dedicated his life to Christian ministry and serving others in the United Methodist Church. He served at his first church, Millageville, PA, while still a student at Grove City College. Upon graduation, he married Stella and together they started a life of ministry at Sugar Grove/Lottsville, PA. A year later, Reverend Redfoot began his studies at Westminster Seminary in Westminster, MD, while serving the Falls Road church. Upon graduation from seminary in 1955, he served a series of congregations in the Western Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church, including East Brady/Philipston, Cooperstown/Bethel, Derry First/Fourth Avenue, Seneca, and Portage. Reverend Redfoot noted that he “especially enjoyed working with youth,” which he did through establishing or strengthening youth fellowships at all of his churches. He also did extensive work with the Boy Scouts and was awarded the prestigious Silver Beaver Award by the BSA.
Shortly after retiring to Baldwin, PA, Victor and Stella provided crucial support to Joel and his children when Joel’s first wife, Debra, died. Victor moved to the Passavant Retirement Community in Zelienople, PA, after Stella died, where he continued his ministry by recording more than 300 sermonettes for broadcast ever the community television network, receiving a volunteer service award from LeadingAge for this effort. He made many friends among the other residents and staff there, especially Dolores Fruth, who was his best friend and spiritual soulmate during his last years.
When writing his memoirs, Reverend Redfoot concluded with these words: “I have had a full, rich, exciting life… I just need in closing to thank God from the bottom of my heart for giving me such a great wife (Stella was an ideal minister’s wife and a great mother to our children), for four of the greatest kids anyone could hope for, and finally for such wonderful, caring benevolent and understanding congregations to serve for 44 years… It’s been a great race to run and very rewarding.”
Friends will be received from 2-4 P.M. and 7-9 P.M. on Monday, December 3, 2018 at the Boylan Funeral Home, Inc., 324 E. Grandview Ave., Zelienople, PA 16063.
Additional visitation will be held from 9:30 A.M. until the time of the funeral ceremony at 11:00 A.M. on Tuesday, December 4, 2018 at the Seaman Memorial Chapel at Passavant Retirement Community, 105 Burgess Dr., Zelienople, PA 16063.
He will be laid to rest at Scottdale Cemetery.
The family would like to thank the staff of Passavant Retirement Community for the many years of genuine care and affection shown to Reverend Redfoot.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be given to the Salvation Army.
