A Celebration of Life for Rev. Donald Sinclair

Remembering the Life of Dr. Donald Wood Sinclair 1929-2024

Donald Wood Sinclair was born into a cotton farming family on October 6, 1929 in the small community of Minden, Tx. as the youngest of 10 siblings, and Don passed from this life April 23, 2024 at the age of 94. Don joined the Air Force at age 17 and served in the Philippine Islands at the close of WWII achieving the rank of staff sergeant. When he returned to the states he at-tended Lon Morris Jr. College where he met his life-partner of 72 yrs., Kathe-rine Carter. Don intended to return to the Philippines as a missionary, but was persuaded to minister stateside in the Texas Annual Conference. After receiving his divinity degree from Perkins at SMU, Don and Kathy went on to serve 15 ministerial assignments in the TAC from 1950 to 1996 including 7 years as the Director of Adult Education for the conference and concluding with 10 years serving as the lead pastor of what was then Bering Memorial UMC.
Throughout his ministry Don was an advocate for the plain truth of the Gospel in the modern world and, like Jesus, a champion for marginalized peoples. Don was a strong advocate for racial justice (he joined MLK Jr.’s march in Selma in 1965) and for issues of gender equality. While at Bering Memorial he helped initiate the church’s HIV & AIDS ministry in the late 1980’s. Don spoke the truth to power, and, like Jesus, he regularly comfort-ed the afflicted and afflicted the comfortable.
Don is preceded in death by his wife, Kathy, and his youngest son, Stan-ley. He is survived by his 3 sons: David & wife Susan of Anchorage, AK.; Robert & wife Mary of Georgetown, Tx.; and Douglas of Coldspring, Tx. along with 4 grandchildren, Kate, Joe, Ben, & Ann Sinclair and 1 great-grandchild, Greta. Don received a Doctor of Ministry from Drew Theologi-cal School, the Religious Service Award of Houston from the National Con-ference of Christians & Jews, the Honors Award by the Aids National Inter-faith Network, and the 1st Don Sinclair Leadership Award from the Bering Community Service Foundation.