Rev. Anthony S. "Tony" Kill

Rev. Anthony Steven (Tony) Kill of Newton Corner died peacefully at home on January 24th. He was raised in a Minnesota farm family, the oldest of 9 children. He felt a call to Christian ministry early, entering a Roman Catholic seminary in high school, and joining the Crosier religious order in college. During seminary, he worked with urban youth, children and adults with developmental disabilities, civil rights groups and ecumenical peace groups. He came to the conviction that believers must be passionately engaged in bringing compassion and justice to the world, as well as passionately engaged with God. 

Rev. Kill was ordained a priest in 1974, and joined the faculty of the Crosier Seminary as Director of Spiritual Formation and Associate Professor of Theology while also working in an urban parish. However, by 1978 he had become so alienated from the authoritarian, hierarchical priesthood that he felt he could no longer represent that role with any integrity. He took a leave of absence to study at Union Theological Seminary in NYC and left the Crosier order. 

In 1983 he married Rev. Karen Fritz. That same year, his ordination was recognized by the United Church of Christ (UCC), and he was installed as pastor of the First United Church of Christ in Bayonne, New Jersey.

In 1985 he and Karen moved to Massachusetts. Over the next 40 years he served as pastor to UCC congregations in Cambridge, Arlington, and Newton, then as interim pastor in Randolph, Walpole and North Andover. During that time, he mentored several seminary interns in his parishes, and served on denominational and interfaith boards and committees. In his retirement, he was an active member of First Church Somerville UCC, continued to serve in various roles for the UCC Association and Conference, and volunteered as hospice visitor with Care Dimensions.

Tony was the loving husband of his wife of 42 years, Karen, devoted father of Nathaniel (Marielle) and Zachary (Nicole) Fritz-Kill, and adoring grandfather of Amelia Fritz-Kill. His extended family includes his surviving sisters and brothers, sisters and brothers-in-law, a multitude of nieces and nephews and their children amny cousins, and his best friend Darrold Endres. He will be remembered for his unconditional love by all who ever had the good fortune to cross his path or share his life.

A Celebration of Life Service will be Saturday, February 1 at Noon at First Church Somerville, UCC, 89 College Ave, Somerville.

Visitation for family and community will be Sunday, February 2 from 1-3 PM at the Eliot Church of Newton, 474 Centre St, Newton.

Donations in Tony’s memory can be made to First Church Somerville https://www.firstchurchsomerville.org/or the Somerville Homeless Coalition https://somervillehomelesscoalition.org/giving