The Reverend James William Henry Sell died peacefully in his sleep on the eve of his 80th birthday.
He grew up in West Virginia and did his undergraduate work in history at West Virginia University. After his first year of law school, he heard the call of the church. He received his Master of Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary.
After serving churches in West Virginia and New Jersey, he was called as Rector of Christ & St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in 1990. At the time, Christ & St. Luke’s was struggling. He served Christ & St. Luke’s for 15 years and when he left, it was thriving. Jim was known for his love of children, his outreach not only to the parish but also to the wider Hampton Roads Community and his thoughtful sermons. He enjoyed writing (even wrote a book later published by hand), reading, golf, and traveling.
He first joined Rotary in West Virginia. He was a member of our Rotary Club on two occasions and is remembered for his thoughtful invocations. He was a Paul Harris Fellow.
His memorial service will be at Christ & St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 560 W. Olney Rd., Norfolk at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. A reception will follow.