The Reverend Dr. Thomas Holgate Cavicchia died peacefully on May 27, 2020 at his home in Springfield, Missouri at the age of 91.

He was born on April 29, 1929, to Dominic Angelo and Marion Daid (Holgate) Cavicchia on April 29, 1929 in Newark, New Jersey. He was educated in Newark public schools and was graduated from Weequahic High School in June of 1946. He received a BA degree from Bloomfield College, Bloomfield, N.J. in 1951, a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, N.J. in 1954, and a Doctorate of Ministry (D. Min.) from McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL in 1986.

Ordained by the Presbytery of Newark of the Presbyterian Church USA in June 1954, Dr. Cavicchia served as pastor of the Presbyterian churches in Ironton and Annapolis, Missouri from 1954 to 1962. During these years, he served as Chair of Iron Mountain Presbytery's Christian Education Committee and as a member of the CE Committee of the Synod of Missouri. For seven years, he directed the presbytery's camp and conference program. In 1959, he represented his presbytery as a commissioner to the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church, USA and served a term as moderator of Iron Mt. Presbytery. In 1961, he was elected moderator of the Synod of Missouri.

While living in Iron County, Dr. Cavicchia was very active in community affairs. He served on the county Red Cross board, chaired the county Heart Fund drive, served for seven years as scoutmaster of the local Boy Scout troop, earning the Scoutmaster's Key, was a member and held all offices of the Ironton Rotary Club, and served as assistant chief of the volunteer fire department.

In April 1961, he married Edith Walker. Their son, Thomas Dominic, was born in March 1962, a few weeks before Dr. Cavicchia accepted the call of the First Presbyterian Church of Mount Vernon, Missouri. A daughter, Janine Anne, was born in August 1963. Edith died of cancer in January 1964.

While serving as pastor in Mt. Vernon, Dr. Cavicchia also served a term as chair of the General Council of the Synod of Missouri and six years as chair of the Synod's Christian Education Committee. During this time, he was instrumental in bringing together the CE committees of the UPCUSA and the PCUS (southern) Synods of Missouri. This action led to the forming of a joint National Missions committee for the two Synods and was quickly followed by the joining of the CE and NM committees of the various presbyteries of the Synods. This aided the formation of Union Presbyteries, belonging to both denominations until their reunion as the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 1983.

Dr. Cavicchia was chair of the joint National Missions committee of the presbyteries at the time John Calvin Union Presbytery was formed by the uniting of Carthage Ozark Presbytery of the UPCUSA and John Calvin Presbytery of the PCUS. In 1970, he represented Carthage Ozark Presbytery as commissioner to the General Assembly. He was also active in the presbytery's Camp and Conference programs, initiating and directing its Wilderness Float Camp program for a number of years.

While serving the Mt. Vernon church, Dr. Cavicchia served the community as Institutional Representative to the Board of the Ozarks Area Boy Scout Council, Den Leader for his son's Cub Scout den, chair of the County Heart Fund drive, and member of the Grade School PTA in which he held all offices. He also served as a Board member of the Summer Park Program, the Lawrence/Barry County Camp for Underprivileged Children, the Ozarks Area Community Action Committee, and the Mt. Vernon Rotary Club in which he also held all offices.

In 1965, Dr. Cavicchia married Karen Delight Stockton. He moved to Springfield, Missouri, with his family in 1971 when he was called as Executive Presbyter of John Calvin Presbytery. He served in this capacity until his retirement in 1994. In 1979, the Cavicchias welcomed into their family Rebeca Paz Rollano of Cochabamba, Bolivia.

While serving as Executive Presbyter, he also served for a number of years as Stated Clerk of the presbytery and on a number of committees and task forces of the UPCUSA and the PCUS and, after the denominational reunion, the PC (U.S.A.). He was very active in the annual Consultation of the Union Presbyteries, a group that formed originally to address common problems of relating to two denominations and later became a major force in the drive toward denominational reunion. He also again represented his presbytery as a commissioner to the annual meeting of the General Assembly and was an accredited visitor from the PC (U.S.A.) to the 1991 Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Canberra, Australia.

Upon his retirement, Dr. Cavicchia received many letters of appreciation for his pastoral care and his administrative leadership from former parishioners, pastors who had served in the presbytery during his tenure as executive, and colleagues from across the Church.

In retirement, he continued to volunteer as a local fund raiser for the American Heart Association and, until a heart attack curtained his activities, briefly taught in an adult literacy program and delivered Meals on Wheels. For a number of years, he taught a course on Presbyterian Polity for the Presbytery Academy and has served as a member and the moderator of the presbytery's Theology and Order committee.

He also managed to increase his participation in the sport of fly fishing for trout, an avocation he shared with his son, Tom, throughout whose life they enjoyed many seasons of fly fishing in Missouri rivers and during family vacations in the Colorado mountains.

Dr. Cavicchia had a lifelong interest in the study of history and cultures. His travels took him to every state of the Union and to all six inhabited continents. Of particular interest were his visits to Christian churches in India, Nepal, and China, as well as to Switzerland to participate in a seminar at the World Council of Churches headquarters in Geneva.

A highlight of his travels was, just for fun, a two week safari to wildlife refuges in Kenya and Tanzania with his wife, Karen, who shares his passion for traveling and accompanied him on many wonderful adventures.

In 1994, Princeton Theological Seminary honored Dr. Cavicchia with its Distinguished Alumnus Award for his 23 years of administrative service to the Presbyterian Church. A year later, John Calvin Presbytery awarded him the status of Executive Presbyter Emeritus.

In addition to his first wife, Dr. Cavicchia was preceded in death by his parents, his brother John (Doris) Cavicchia, and sister Judith (W. Robb) Kell. He is survived by his wife, Karen, son Tom (Barbara), daughters Rebeca Paz (Steve Cassou) and Janine Cavicchia; three grandchildren, Dominic (Cecily Cecil) Cavicchia, and Caroline and Lauren Cassou; and many nieces, nephews and extended family.

The family is grateful to his devoted caregivers over the past three and a half years: Alan, Karen, Dakota, Georgia, Emily, Veronica, Katia, Maranda and Jenny, as well as the Integrity Hospice team for their care and comfort the past two months: Kristyn, Carolyn, Doris and Jeff.

A Celebration of Life will be held in Springfield, MO and one in Williamsburg, OH at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Integrity Hospice or Trinity Presbyterian Church in Springfield, or First Presbyterian Church in Williamsburg.