Vincent Astor, age 69, died Monday, January 16, at his home.
Vincent was a fixture at Calvary. He was a font of knowledge and led tours of our historic church. He recently oversaw the arrangement of Calvary’s antique nativity set, which, when he was in better health, was a labor of love he would have carried out with his own hands. Vincent was also working on an updated written history of Calvary at the time of his death. But for all his love of the past, as an openly gay man for decades in Memphis, Vincent was unwilling to accept the prejudice and judgment of religious and cultural traditions he lived in. And those traditions, like Memphis, were changed for the better by his life and witness.
In accordance with Vincent’s wishes, his funeral will be held at Calvary Episcopal Church on Saturday, February 4 at 10 a.m., with a reception to follow in the Great Hall. His final resting place will be Elmwood Cemetery.
An informal Celebration of Life will be held at the Orpheum Theatre on Saturday, February 11 from 2 to 4 in the afternoon.
In lieu of flowers, Vincent asks his friends to make donations to Calvary Episcopal Church towards the purchase of plantings for the courtyard and grounds.