A Salute to Two Champions 
of Faith At Work

Cmdr. Geoffrey Kitson

Cmdr. Geoffrey Kitson, President of Faith at Work between 1978 and 1980, died at home in Hamilton, Bermuda, July 6, 1997. Born in the Outer Hebredes of Scotland in 1916, Geoff became the youngest Commander in the Royal Navy after the invasion of Normandy. Married to Betty as WW II broke out in 1939, he pursued a career in business after the war.

Always active in civic affairs, Geoff pioneered health insurance in Bermuda, served on boards for Young Life, Salvation Army and Faith at Work while it was still located in New York City. When Betty started the Reading Clinic in Bermuda, Geoff was active as a tutor, fundraiser, trustee and whole-hearted supporter. Always an optimist and entrepreneur, Geoff made an early connection between faith and work in his daily life, welcoming many Christian groups through his connections at Willowbank in Bermuda.

His son-in-law, Rev. Tom Willingham, recounted this story at Geoff's memorial service.

While he was in New York, getting treatment for his (cancer), one beautiful spring day he sat with me looking out the kitchen window of our home at the pink blossoms and tender green shoots of new growth. "What a beautiful sight..." he mused. "I feel so good sitting here enjoying it. I can't believe that anyone who feels as good as I do could be dying."
And just days before he died, Geoff wrote this to his 8-year-old grandson:
I'm excited about dying. Please don't worry about me because I want to die. I look forward to seeing you in our next life together. Love, Boppa.
FAW Board Chairman, Nancy Boyle, wrote this about his tenure:
Geoff Kitson saved Faith at Work because he took the long view. In 1971, when we could barely pay the staff, he thought we should buy the convent at Marriottsville when the sisters were thinking about closing it. Although the Board voted "no," the idea of having a place was planted. He later engineered construction of the Sam Shoemaker building in Columbia MD and, as President in 1978, oversaw the sale of the building which kept us solvent through very lean times. His foresight allowed FAW to grow and change. His gifts were freely and gracefully given to Faith at Work. Thank you, Commander Kitson!

Gordon Hunter

Gordon Hunter, first Executive Secretary of Faith at Work Canada died suddenly of heart failure in Morrens, Switzerland, November 9, 1997. He was 73 years old.

A pastor in the United Church, Gordon Hunter caught sight of Christian wholeness through the ministry of E. Stanley Jones, an American Methodist minister who brought back from India the concept of Ashram--wholeness in health, body, mind and spirit. In the 1960s, Gordon promoted non-denominational Christian growth through Ashrams International, Faith at Work and Christian Discovery. He and his wife, Anna, were in Switzerland to witness the ordination of his daughter in the Swiss Reform Church.