IN MEMORIAM: Bert Draesel ’64
The Rev. Herbert (Bert) G. Draesel, Jr., Class of 1964, Rector Emeritus of the Church of the Holy Trinity, NY, died on January 14, 2023. He suffered a stroke just before Christmas, and eventually came home from the hospital for hospice care, where he died peacefully, surrounded by family and friends. He is survived by his wife, Ada, and his daughters Margaret and Irene, and their families. In addition to having been a spiritual father, mentor, and friend to parishioners, deacons, priests, and bishops, Draesel always maintained strong friendships beyond the church, with people from all aspects of his life.
Draesel was ordained in 1964 at the House of Prayer, Newark, N.J., a place where he navigated the complicated 1960s dynamics of race, class, and economic injustice. He developed skills and abilities in Newark that he carried with him through a lifetime of ministry. After serving as Curate and Rector of the House of Prayer, he was called as Rector of St. Mary the Virgin, Chappaqua, N.Y., where he built vibrant ministries of youth and families. Missing the challenges of urban ministry, in 1975 he became Rector of Grace Church, downtown White Plains, NY. There he began and nurtured programs for children, youth, the homeless, and older adults.
In 1984, Draesel accepted the call as Rector of The Church of the Holy Trinity, where he remained for nineteen years. At Holy Trinity, he helped grow the parish in virtually every direction: financially, spiritually, programmatically, and musically. His personality deepened the parish’s founding D.N.A. as a community center- regardless of theological perspective, economic situation, race, class, gender, or sexual orientation. He helped to found Holy Trinity Neighborhood Center, Inc., the Draesel Fund for Children, and the Property Preservation Trust, which is the church’s small endowment for building preservation. He balanced the spiritual, pastoral, administrative, and programmatic aspects of ministry in ways that continue to astound his successors.
When Draesel retired from Holy Trinity in 2003, he did so to spend more time with his beloved Ada, their family at the New Jersey Shore, and (in his spare time) to enroll in the Graduate Musical Theater Writer Program at New York University, continuing to write and produce musicals. His whole life, he followed God’s Spirit to develop his own particular blend of creativity and spirituality, which he shared freely and joyfully with all.
A Requiem Holy Eucharist and Celebration of Life of The Reverend Herbert G. Draesel, Jr. will take place at 11:00 AM, Saturday, February 25, 2023 at The Church of the Holy Trinity, 316 East 88th Street, New York, NY. Reception in Draesel Hall to follow.