In Memory of Rev. Dr. Natalie Fenimore (February 20, 1958−April 15, 2026)

We share with deep sorrow and a heavy sense of disbelief the passing of the Rev. Dr. Natalie Fenimore, beloved colleague, former UUMA Board member, and minister at the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock. We hold her family, the Shelter Rock community, and all who knew and loved her in our hearts as this news settles among us.

With You in Grief, 
UUMA Staff and Board of Trustees

We offer our condolences to the family and colleagues of the Rev. Dr. Natalie M. Fenimore, who died on April 15, 2026, at the age of 68.

Natalie was born on February 20, 1958, in Birmingham, AL, to Ralph and Lovie Carroll Maxwell. She was raised in the African American non-denominational Baptist tradition and spent her childhood in inner-city Detroit, MI, alongside her two siblings. She later left Detroit to attend Barat College in Illinois and lived for several years in the Chicago area, where she met her husband, Charles. In 1982, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Maryland and went on to receive a Master of Arts in Government from Hood College in Frederick, MD, in 1993.

Natalie came to Unitarian Universalism through her marriage to Charles, a lifelong Unitarian Universalist. They were married at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Rockville, Maryland, where Natalie became a member in 1982. Through the congregation, she made new friends and discovered a theology that she found both interesting and challenging. She became increasingly involved in Unitarian Universalism, embracing a belief in divine humanity and transformational and transcendent possibilities within human experience. During her twenty-eight-year membership at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Rockville, she served in most areas of congregational life, including on the Board. She found her calling in religious education, first as a volunteer teacher in her home congregation. She led the “Our Whole Lives” (OWL) program, including teen and parent orientation, and worked with children, helping them relate the curriculum to their own lives. Natalie “turned pro” as Director of Religious Education at the UU Church of Silver Spring, MD (1998–2001); Paint Branch UU Church, Adelphi, MD (2001–2005); and the UU Congregation of Fairfax, Oakton, VA (2005–2011). In 2007, she received her credentialing from the UUA as a Religious Educator Credentialed at the Master (now Leadership) Level.

Through her work as a religious educator, Natalie came to realize that she had been engaged in a form of ministry. She recognized that her theology, her perspective, her experience, and her religious insights were worth sharing through ordained ministry. Her call to Unitarian Universalist ministry was rooted in the lineage of African American theological reflection, Christian tradition, and experiences of Black America. As a UU minister, she sought to build bridges within communities, promoting justice and equity. She felt called to encourage Unitarian Universalists to engage with diverse people and groups as an essential part of engaging in justice work. In 2010, she received her Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.  In 2018, she earned a Doctor of Ministry with a project entitled “A Curriculum Resource for Affirming an African-American Unitarian Universalist Identity”.

The Rev. Dr. Fenimore was ordained on October 9, 2011, jointly by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Rockville, Rockville, MD, and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax (UUCF), Oakton, VA. From 2011 to 2012, she served as a Minister of Religious Exploration at the UUCF, where she led children’s chapel and adult education programs. She was known as an excellent preacher–– creative, thoughtful, sensitive, and inspiring. Her storytelling resonated with congregants. At UUCF, the Rev. Dr. Fenimore provided significant leadership and support in integrating anti-racism, anti-oppression, and multicultural (ARAOMC) work into the life of the congregation. She was especially committed to engaging youth and children in the work of justice. From 2012 to 2013, she served as Minister at the Davies UU Congregation, Camp Springs, MD. In 2013, she accepted a call from the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock (UUCSR), Manhasset, NY, where she served as Lead Minister and Minister of Lifespan Religious Education until 2026. At Shelter Rock, she helped provide clear ministerial processes, reporting, and communication, and worked closely with the Pastoral Care Minister to coordinate pastoral care for children, youth, and adults. She made significant contributions to “caring needs intelligence gathering”. Members of the UUCSR appreciated that Natalie made them feel she was “one of them”. She approached ministry with thoughtfulness, collaboration, and deep respect for lay leadership.

The Rev. Dr. Fenimore provided leadership at both regional and denominational levels. She served on the UUA/Joseph Pristley District Board and on the UUA/Journey Toward Wholeness Transformation Committee. She was President of the Liberal Religious Educators Association (LREDA) from 2011 to 2014 and a member of the UUA’s Committee on Institutional Change. She also served on the boards of Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, CA, and the UU Ministers Association.

A prolific writer, Rev. Dr. Fenimore authored UU Religious Education curricula, Religious Education Renaissance Modules, meditations, and readings. Through her work as a religious professional, Natalie strengthened her gifts for guiding others in their faith development. Her practical theology was reflected in being fully present to those she was with and ethical to those around her and around the world. She brought religious sensitivity and a deeper understanding of faith to her teaching. In 2025, she received the Angus H. MacLean Award for Religious Education Excellence.

In her leisure time, Natalie was a voracious reader of novels and histories, and a lover of the subtle humor she found in many children’s picture books. She was a baker, a gardener, a watcher of British and American TV murder mysteries, and a visitor to museums wherever she lived and travelled. She was a gatherer of fallen robins’ eggshells and nests and of parishioners who felt lost in her congregation. For the latter, she often found places in which they came to feel welcomed.

Natalie is survived by her husband, Charles “Chuck” Fenimore; their children (John and Helen); her stepchildren (Paul and Rachel); two grandsons; and her sister, Hermanetta Smith.

A Celebration of Life was held on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, 48 Shelter Rock Road, Manhasset, NY 11030. A video of the service is available on the Congregation’s website, UUCSR.org.

Memorial donations may be directed to The Natalie Fenimore Endowed Scholarship Fund at Starr King School for the Ministry, 414 13th Street, Suite 700, Oakland, CA 94612.

Notes of condolence may be sent to Chuck Fenimore c/o Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, 48 Shelter Rock Road, Manhasset, NY 11030.