Pastor United Church of Christ
Earl was born on July 21, 1936 and grew up on a dairy farm in Hershey PA. He was a devoted son, student, athlete and leader and the first member of his family to attend college at the University of Delaware. After graduating College in 1958 he felt a calling to the ministry and enrolled in Harvard Divinity School. While attending Harvard he served as student Pastor at Haverhill Disciple of Christ Church. He met his wife Linda (Sanders) Alger while attending Harvard Divinity School and they married in 1959. Earl spent a brief time in the Army and then continued his studies at Harvard.
After completing his studies and becoming an ordained minister of the United Church of Christ Earl and his family moved to Andover MA and Earl worked to merge two churches in Lawrence. During this time working with the large Puerto Rican community, Earl worked to create the first Spanish Language Protestant Church in the area, providing interracial low-cost nursery and later medical and dental services and after school programs.
In 1969 he was called to lead the Hingham Congregational church. He was there from 1969 until 1985 serving the congregation during tumultuous times. He was well known for his service to the community and pastoral sermons.
After leaving the Hingham Church to pursue other endeavors he soon returned to the ministry via interim positions at Sharon and then Hyde Park.
In 1989 He returned to full time Parish ministry at the Union Congregational Church in Braintree. As pastor of the Union Church, he was a member and leader of the Union Towers leadership committee and enjoyed spending time with the residents of Union Towers along with his pastoral duties.
In 2003 he retired from the ministry to lovingly care for his Wife Linda during a debilitating illness. Following Linda’s death in 2008 Earl returned to interim ministries in Abington and then again at Union in Braintree.
Earl was a devoted husband to Linda and supported her demanding career. He was a devoted father and grandfather to his 3 children and 5 grandchildren, performing their marriages, and supporting all of his grandchildren with regular e-mails and phone calls.
Earl met Nancy Storm Hicks through mutual friends in 2009 and they married in 2012.
They established rich lives enjoying winters at their home in Sarasota and summers with family and friends in Norwell. As Nancy’s family expanded, young children again became a part of his life. Church membership was a constant and volunteer opportunities helped provide purpose.
Comforting people in need defined Earl. His Legacy is one of unwavering faith, love and generosity.
Earl was the beloved husband of Nancy (Hicks) Alger, predeceased by his wife, Linda (Sanders) Alger. Earl is survived by his children, Kimberly and her husband Mark Lynch, Todd and his wife Sandra, Tracy Coffman and her husband Mark. Earl was blessed with five grandchildren: Christina Stanley, Wade Stanley, Katharine Alger, Nico Coffman Carrens, and Sidney Coffman and great grandchildren Matthew Stanley and Remington Stanley. He also leaves Nancy’s children Sara Douglas and her husband Fred and Adam Hicks and his wife Jo Ann and grandchildren Trey, Fallon and Charlotte Douglas and John, Charles and Michael Hicks. He was also survived by a niece and nephews and predeceased by brothers Harvey and John Alger.
A memorial service will be held December 29, 2024, at 2pm at First Trinitarian Congregational Church of Scituate 381 County Way Scituate, MA 02066. For more information and online guestbook go to www.downingchapel.com