Draft:Darryl F. James

• Comment: Wikipedia is not the place to host memorials. qcne (talk) 14:04, 17 July 2025 (UTC)

• Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest policy, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. Dchristoine (talk) 13:50, 17 July 2025 (UTC)

---

Father Darryl Farrar James was born on July 3,1954, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Alyce Laurayne (“René”) Farrar James and Anthony (“Box”) James, Sr. 

Darryl’s maternal grandfather, Edward Farrar, was born to once-enslaved parents. He moved from Virginia to Connecticut to join his brothers, who owned land together and operated a farm supply store. Later, Edward had a long career as a boiler engineer with the Bridgeport Brass Company. Darryl’s maternal grandmother, Alice Gertrude Farrar (née Whiting), was born in Virginia and moved at a young age to the majority-white town of Bridgeport, growing up in a neighborhood called “Little Liberia” for its thriving Black community. When Darryl’s grandparents married, they purchased a home in the East End of Bridgeport. There they raised seven children, including Darryl’s mother, their youngest daughter.

Darryl's paternal family originated in Richmond, Virginia, where his grandmother, Pansy James, worked for Maggie Lena Walker, the first Black woman to establish and become president of a bank in the United States—the Saint Luke Penny Savings Bank in Richmond. The bank merged with two smaller Black-owned banks during The Great Depression and became the Consolidated Bank and Trust Company, with Walker as chairman. Pansy was a Consolidated Bank and Trust bank teller who married Alexander "Boy" James, a postal worker who attended Virginia State College in Petersburg. She and her husband raised Darryl's father, Anthony, in Richmond.

Anthony, who everyone affectionately called "Box," studied physical education at Virginia State College. During the summers, he was the athletic director of the all-Black Camp Atwater in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, where Black children from elite families traveled from across the country to attend, including Darryl and his brothers. "Box" was also a PE teacher and Football and Track coach at Armstrong High School in Richmond, Virginia, and Ramapo High School in Spring Valley, New York.

Darryl’s parents met and married in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and later moved to a predominantly Black neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia. Darryl grew up in the Brookfield Gardens apartments, where his neighbors included civil rights lawyer Spottswood William Robinson, III. His mother, whom the family affectionately called “René,” was the local Southern Christian Leadership Conference coordinator and worked on the Poor People’s Campaign. She was famously hired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as his local Richmond coordinator.

Darryl began his education at the all-Black Albert V. Norrell Elementary School in Richmond. While in elementary school, he was recruited to play clarinet for the high school marching band. After the local schools were integrated, he attended J.E.B. Stuart Elementary School and then J.A.C. Chandler Junior High School. Each week, Darryl rode his bicycle to St. Philip’s Episcopal Church. He was confirmed as a member of the church at twelve years old, and soon became interested in joining the clergy. Darryl completed his freshman year at Armstrong High School and then moved with his family to Spring Valley, New York, where he attended the majority-Jewish Ramapo High School.

Darryl enrolled in Howard University in 1972 to study Political Science. He was part of a cohort of seven Farrar cousins who attended Howard together. Darryl was incredibly social while at Howard. He became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated, was a member of the Political Science Society, the Howard Marching Band (as Clarinet Section Leader), the University Gospel Choir, the Pan Hellenic Council, and was the President of the Absalom Jones Episcopal Student Association. Darryl was also President of the Freshman Class and later was elected Mr. Howard University.

As President of the Absalom Jones Student Association, an Episcopal organization led by Father E. Nathaniel Porter, Darryl witnessed the church’s efforts to serve the Black community and was inspired to join the ministry. Upon graduating from Howard University, Darryl enrolled at the Absalom Jones Theological Institute in Atlanta, Georgia. He met Bishop John Burgess, who recruited him to study at the Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut from which he graduated in 1979. While there, Darryl challenged his white classmates’ prejudices and was mentored by the Black theologian James H. Cone. Darryl completed Episcopal training at the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale in New Haven, Connecticut. Darryl’s formation into the Episcopal priesthood was completed with his assignment as a seminarian to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in New Haven, the third oldest Black Episcopal church in the country, and with completing his training at the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale.

Upon graduation from Yale, Darryl was called to Newark, New Jersey, where he served as a lay assistant at the Trinity and St. Philip’s Cathedral, serving under the tutelage of Dean Dillard Robinson. Darryl was later called to Detroit, Michigan, where he was ordained as a deacon in 1984 at St. Matthew’s and St. Joseph’s Church. There, he was appointed Assistant for Youth and Young Adult Ministries. The congregation was led by Reverend Orris G. Walker, Jr., who later became the first Black bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island.

Under Bishop Walker’s guidance, Darryl learned to preach sermons extemporaneously and was active in Detroit’s Church Army, providing services to unwed mothers. In 1985, Darryl was ordained by the Reverend John M. Burgess in Detroit, Michigan. Later that year, Darryl became Rector of the Messiah-St. Bartholomew Church in Chicago, Illinois, where he remained for 21 years. There, he started a Christmas toy drive and a mentorship program for young men, where he emphasized etiquette and grooming. While in Chicago, Darryl was named to the Chicago School Board and served from 1990 to 1995. Also, in 1990, he was named National President of the Union of Black Episcopalians.

In 2007, after 21 years in Chicago, Darryl was recruited by Reverend Orris G. Walker, Jr. to lead the Grace Episcopal Church in Queens, New York, a predominantly West Indian congregation. Three years later, he assumed the role of church Rector. There, Darryl served a congregation of over 300 people, where he presided over all sacraments such as baptisms and marriages and maintained the church edifice and cemetery, a 1702 registered landmark on the National Registry of Historic Places. He also founded a youth program called New Grace Ministries, where he encouraged younger congregants to become active church members.

During this time, Darryl served as the National President of the Union of Black Episcopalians, which advocated for the inclusion of the church’s minority members. He was a member of the Diocese of Long Island and the Queens community, a member of the Investment Committee and the Episcopal Health Service Board of Managers, and co-founder of the Downtown Jamaica Clergy. He later served as President of the Queens Federation of Churches. During the Presidential campaign of 2016, he started a voter registration drive and encouraged his congregation to vote.

During his leadership at Grace Episcopal Church, Darryl launched several initiatives, including but not limited to the “Bishop Thompson, Jr. Summer Music and Arts Workshop,” the annual Father’s Day Men of Valor Luncheon, and the Volunteers Appreciation Dinner. In 2005, in partnership with St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Darryl assisted Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans, Louisiana, providing aid and performing mission work in the region. He also participated in a pilgrimage to India, visiting the Diocese of Mumbai and Delhi.

Darryl’s focus on education and international service was a theme throughout his time as a clergyman. He sponsored college tours for prospective college students throughout the United States. In 2018, following the devastation of Hurricane Maria to the Virgin Islands, Darryl encouraged Grace parishioners to raise over $5,000 for relief efforts to the Diocese of the Virgin Islands. He also led the charge of bringing his beloved Alma Mater, Howard University Gospel Choir and Concert Band to Jamaica, New York, for performances over the years. Additionally, Darryl remained active in his fraternity, having joined the Queens Alumni Chapter. He also held various positions within the Howard University Alumni Association, including Vice President of Membership and local and regional positions within the association.

Darryl’s decision to answer the call to serve in Queens was also a personal one. He desired to be closer to his family, including his mother in Connecticut, his brother in Harlem, and all of his family members on the East Coast. Darryl was the family glue. After his grandmother passed away, he began hosting the family Easter dinner at his home, which required him to wake up at dawn to oversee church activities and then hustle back home to welcome Farrar family members from around the country, who would delight in his wonderful cooking. Darryl loved and honored his family, and hosting his family and friends was one of his passions.

Darryl retired in 2019 after 35 years of service. His service and love for people did not end there. Before he retired, Darryl was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on December 13, 2016. After retirement, he relocated to Philadelphia, where he joined and served at the Historic African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, Philadelphia, PA, under the leadership of his longtime friend, Rev. Canon Martini Shaw. Darryl was an active member of St. Thomas and preached numerous virtual sermons during the pandemic.

Darryl continued ministry and joined the staff as a Priest Associate of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Yeadon, PA, under the leadership of his friend, the Reverend Canon Jordan Francis Casson. Darryl faithfully served there until his health began to fail in March 2023.

Darryl LOVED to travel and exploring the world. For over 40 years, he could be found in Martha’s Vineyard during the summers, hosting gatherings such as his Chicken and Waffles and Mardi Gras parties. In 2006, along with his Howard Alumni Family, he co-founded Bison on the Vineyard (BOV), a group of Howard University alumni who sponsor various events annually on Martha’s Vineyard to raise student scholarship funds. In recognition of his service, the BOV’s annual Chicken-N-Waffles Brunch is named after him. Darryl traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and the Caribbean, and frequented many other countries frequently, including South Africa. One could say that traveling was one of his “love languages.” It’s important to note that everywhere he traveled he established family-like relationships that have lasted his lifetime.

Darryl’s love for people shone brightly through his fatherly nature, both as a priest and as a devoted friend. He had a way of making everyone feel seen and valued, offering guidance, compassion, and unwavering support. Whether through his role as a spiritual leader or as someone who simply cared deeply for those around him, his presence was a source of comfort and inspiration. His ability to connect with people, nurture their spirits, and walk beside them in their joys and struggles was a testament to the profound love he carried in his heart. His legacy of kindness and friendship will live on in the many lives he touched. Darryl had a remarkable talent for connecting the right people to one another, helping to forge connections that would last a lifetime.

Darryl was preceded in death by his Father, Anthony (“Box”) James, Sr., and Mother, Alyce Laurayne (“René”) Farrar James.

Darryl leaves to cherish his precious legacy, his brothers, Anthony James, Jr. and his wife Pam, Kendall James and his wife Tracey, niece and nephews (Taji, Harmon, and Caleb) and his godson Damon Watson. Darryl’s legacy will live on through his multitude of family and friends, both locally and internationally

References

https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/father-darryl-f-james

https://www.dioceseli.org/news/rip-rev-darryl-james