Dear Diocesan Family:
I am so happy to be among you. Mary Cramer,
president of the Standing Committee, has
asked me to write a short biographical article
about myself as a way of introduction. I
am posting it here. As my schedule becomes
solidified I will let you all know about
my comings and goings in the diocese.
I was born on April 11, 1935 in Passaic,
New Jersey. My father was Jewish and mother,
an Episcopalian. (He became an Episcopalian
and died a Roman Catholic so I think he
covered all the bases). I was baptized on
May 19, 1935 at St. Mary the Virgin in New
York City, often seen as the "highest"
Episcopal Church in the country and affectionately
referred to as "Smokey Mary's".
We moved to Manhasset, Long Island in 1938
and that's where I called home until leaving
for college in 1952.
I began study at Northwestern University
in Evanston, Illinois in The School of Communication
with the intent of becoming either a sportscaster
or Broadway actor. Mari and I met at Northwestern
and married in December of 1953 (we will
be married 55 years this coming December).
We have four grown children, Sanford, a
movie director in San Diego; Christian,
who works for The Cour de Alene Tribal Casino
in Worley, Idaho; Fred, who with his wife,
Gabrielle, own Hamptons' Rock Shop in Kerby,
Oregon (two miles East of Cave Junction);
and Mari Elizabeth (Molly) who with her
family lives outside of St. Paul, Minnesota.
We have six grandchildren and two great
grandchildren. It would seem that the kids
grew up and we left home.
Following graduation from Northwestern I
began work with a Chicago-based advertising
firm which handled Yellow Pages advertising
for The Bell Telephone System from Chicago
to the East Coast. I left there in 1963
to attend Seabury-Western Theological Seminary
in Evanston.
Following graduation and then ordination
in 1966, we served in Flossmoor, Illinois;
Salt Lake City, Utah; Moab, Utah (where
I also served a small Navajo congregation
in Blanding, Utah); LaGrande, Oregon; Temple
Hills, Maryland (outside of Washington,
D.C).; from where I was elected Bishop Suffragan
of Minnesota and was consecrated on April
5, 1989. I served in Minnesota until late
1996 when I was appointed Assistant Bishop
of The Diocese of Olympia. I "retired"
in 2003 following the consecration of a
Bishop Suffragan for Olympia, Nedi Rivera.
In retirement I have served a congregation
of Episcopalians in Oak Harbor, Washington
(in various homes each week) who were caught
up in a church split when their rector brought
the church under the oversight of a Brazilian
bishop. I, with Mari and two others serve
as Chaplain to The Retired in The Diocese
of Olympia, maintain The Prayer List for
The House of Bishops and serve a cluster
of congregations in The Skagit Valley of
Washington where we have lived in Anacortes
for the past six years.
I would sum up my life and ministry in one
word, gratitude. I am grateful to God for
entrusting some ministry to me. To my family
for their love and support throughout the
years (as Mari says, "I just hold on
to the end of a rocket ship and off we go.
And it's a wonderful ride." and to
the many wonderful folks we have had the
privilege of serving within The Episcopal
Church over the years.
To quote the late Lou Gehrig, "I consider
myself the luckiest guy on the face of the
earth".
Yours, in Christ
Bishop Sandy Hampton
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