A Brief Account of the Life of LaFayette Pinckney

LaFayette Pinckney, named after his grandfather, was born, along with his twin brother LaVerne, to Remington and Rena Pinckney, on October 9, 1921, at the family home, 13 Center Street, Brewster, NY. "Fay" and "Vern" were born on their older brother "Bud's" (Remington Jr.) 4th birthday, and on their parent's 8th wedding anniversary. Rumor has it that the twins were delivered on the dining room table.

Besides the two brothers previously mentioned, Fay had an older sister Frances (Ward), a younger brother Earl, and a younger sister Muriel (Richards). The four brothers shared a single, unheated porch-type room in the small family home. Stories are many of the brothers' escapades enabled by the easily and unnoticed exit from the house. Another part of their life was linked to the New York Central Railroad because their dad was a train conductor.

Fay lettered in four high school sports including track and field, football, basketball, and baseball. He did high diving during the summers and was active in the school's band and operettas. His first job was as a golf caddy, which explains the beginning of his life-long hobby of playing golfing.

After high school, LaFayette worked as a signal railway mechanic on the railroad before enlisting in the United States Army to serve his country along with his three brothers during World War II. He trained as a dental technician and was stationed in England. During the war he became skilled at billiards, which would be another lifelong pastime. While all four Pinckney brothers returned from the war, it had a profound effect upon each of them.

It was soon after Fay returned from the War that he would become a devout follower of Jesus. His younger brother Earl would be the primary voice persuading Fay to repent from his sins and believe in Jesus' saving work. Initially the whole family resisted Earl's zealous attempts to persuade them to become followers of Jesus. Fay would often refer back to a conversation with Earl and decision to believe that took place when he was 24 years old, and happened while sitting in the living room of the Center Street family home.

Soon after the war, LaFayette married Carol Winslow Deacon (Hallock) in 1947, a war widow who had an adorable 18 month old daughter, Carole Anne. Fay would officially adopt Carole Anne in 1948. The family lived in Middletown Connecticut where Fay worked for Suburban Propane. A son, "Butch" (LaFayette Jr) was born to the couple in May 1948. A month after moving to East Lyme, Connecticut, in June 1959, Fay's wife Carol passed away.

Fay married Geneva Sabrey Daniels on April 9, 1960 at the Huntington Street Baptist Church in New London Connecticut. In January 1961 a son, Phillip Daniel was born to the couple. Motivated by his love for talking to people about Jesus, in the Fall of 1961 Fay moved his family to Houghton, New York, to attend Houghton College in preparation for Pastoral Ministry. Fay did his student pastorate at the Ellicottville Evangelical United Brethren Church. In September 1963, another son, David Remington, was born. In 1965, while living in Waterford, Connecticut and waiting for a call to his first church, twin daughters, Tana Sabrey and Rena Faye, were born to Fay and Geneva.

LaFayette Pinckney began his first pastorate at the Epsom Baptist Church in Epsom, New Hampshire in December 1965. While in Epsom, he helped initiate several youth ministries and was active as a chaplain in the American Legion. In August of 1973, Fay took an associate pastor position at Calvary Bible Church in East Derry NH. In January 1975, he was called to become the pastor of Contoocook Baptist Church (now Countryside Community Church) in Hopkinton, NH, from which he retired full time pastoral work in July 1987. During this last pastorate, Reverend Pinckney was part of the founding of CareNet Pregnancy Center, Capital Pastor's Fellowship, and Hopkinton's Dial-A-Ride. He retired from pastoring Contoocook Baptist Church in July 1987, at which time his son David, became its next pastor.

In his retirement LaFayette was employed doing various part time jobs including being a courier with the Bank of NH. He also stayed very active serving at the Countryside Community Church, volunteering at Hopkinton Dial-a-Ride, playing golf and billiards, and staying involved in his extended families' lives. When not traveling to visit family, he enjoyed life at their home on Well House Road in Contoocook. In December 2008 he became a vibrant resident at Presidential Oaks Nursing Home where he continued to touch the lives of everyone who he came in contact with. LaFayette passed away on Tuesday, October 11, 2011 having just turned 90.

He leaves behind his wife Geneva, six children, 16 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren, one surviving brother (Earl), and numerous nieces and nephews.