Rev. James R. McClements, Jr., 91, of Lancaster, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, March 28, 2021, while surrounded by his family at home. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in Utica, New York, he was the son of the late James Richard and Lillian Sarah (Roberts) McClements. "Jim" was the loving husband of Roberta "Jean" (Willis) McClements for 62 years at the time of her passing in 2012.
After graduating from Nyack College with a Bachelor of Theology degree, he was commissioned into the U.S. Army at the end of World War II. Upon returning from a tour in Germany, he enrolled in New York University and earned a Master's of Arts degree. In the following years he received a Master's of Divinity degree from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, a Master's of Science degree from Long Island University and completed an appointment as Chaplain Resident at Yale University School of Medicine. Jim never forgot his humble beginnings and used his energies and knowledge to minister to the less fortunate of society. Jim was actively outspoken against the evils of racism during the Civil Rights Movement, earning him a dismissal from his civilian church and ushering in his service as an Army Chaplain. His year of service as a combat chaplain in Viet Nam was marked by his care for our soldiers and a love for the people of Viet Nam who were caught in the crosshairs of war. Upon retirement, Jim and Jean worked tirelessly in serving AIDS patients in the greater Denver, CO area. They were the neighbors that every neighborhood wishes for.