Frederick Borsch ’57

The Rev. Frederick Borsch died April 11, 2017, at his home in Philadelphia of a blood cancer.

Fred came to Princeton from Hinsdale, Ill. At Princeton, Fred was student director of the Princeton Summer Camp and president of our sophomore class, during which time he ameliorated the Bicker process. He later earned advanced degrees from Oxford and Birmingham universities. He was a prolific writer of books, mostly academic theology, but also fiction and poetry. Fred’s theology was subtle and sophisticated. His humor was quiet and ironic. He served our class and the world with amazing grace.

“He became the most impressive member of our class,” a classmate said of Fred. “He was like the prophets of old, a prophesier of social justice.” Fred spent most of his calling as a priest in academia, serving as dean of the Episcopal seminary in Berkeley, Calif., from 1973 to 1981. From 1982 to 1988, Fred was dean of the Chapel at Princeton and professor of religion. He later served as a University trustee.

Perhaps the most central of his calls, from 1988 to 2002, was as bishop of the six-county Episcopal diocese of Los Angeles. He brought the diocese through a perfect storm of civil disturbance in Los Angeles combined with ecclesiastical unrest threatening to rend the Episcopal Church. He was highly respected in the House of Bishops and the Anglican Communion. After his supposed retirement, he went on to serve as interim dean of the Episcopal part of the Yale Divinity School and then taught at the Lutheran School of Divinity until he became ill.

The class sends its condolences to his wife of 56 years, Barbara; and sons Benjamin ’84, Matthew, and Stuart.