Stephanie Egnotovich, who had served with the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation’s Westminister John Knox Press since 1992, most recently as executive editor, died April 13 in Arlington, VA, after a brief illness.
“This is a tremendous loss for us, personally as well as professionally,” said David Dobson, editorial director for WJK. “She was the consummate editor and a tireless advocate for her authors. She had a tremendous combination of gifts: the ability to tease out the possibilities in the germ of an idea, a superb gift for the language, a knowledge of the academic and publishing fields that ran both deep and wide, and a wonderful sense of humor and wit. Above all, she was a joy to be around.”
Over the years, Egnotovich worked with renowned writers such as Cornel West, Letty Russell, Phyllis Trible, Walter Brueggemann, Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Katharine Doob Sakenfeld, James L. Mays, Thomas G. Long, Ann Weems, J. Philip Wogaman and William Sloane Coffin.
In the preface to his award-winning and best-selling book, Credo, the late William Sloane Coffin wrote of Egnotovich: “Seldom has an author owed so much to an editor.”
Before coming to WJK, Egnotovich served as managing editor for Fortress Press and, later, senior editor for Pilgrim Press. She also served as vice president for Publisher’s WorkGroup.
Egnotovich is survived by her sons, Michael and Jonathan; her daughters-in-law, Claudia Link and Kelly Egnotovich; and five grandchildren, Sophie, Caroline, Juliet, Alexander, and Anna. She was preceded in death by a grandchild, Nathalie. Her surviving siblings are Gregory, Douglas, and Joanne Dobrzynski.
Arrangements are pending. Condolences may be sent to the family at 821 Larch Valley Court, Leesburg, VA 20176. Donations in Stephanie’s memory may be made to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, 383 Main Avenue, 5th Floor, Norwalk, CT 06851 or on the Web site.
A memorial service will be held April 25 at Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, DC.
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The Rev. John Charles Wynn, a pioneer in the field of marriage and family counseling, died March 31 in Catonsville, MD. He was 88.
A native of Johnstown, PA, Wynn graduated from the College of Wooster and Yale Divinity School. Ordained in 1944 he served pastorates in Evanston, IL and El Dorado, KS, where he developed a counseling specialty in the fields of marriage, family and sexuality. In 1950 he was appointed director of family education for the Presbyterian Church’s Board of Christian Education in Philadelphia.
In following years, he served in a number of important capacities, including chair of the denomination’s Commission on Sexuality in the Human Community, the National Council of Churches’ Committee on the Family and the Family Council of the World Council of Churches. He was also principal author of a Vatican-Protestant report on interfaith marriage.
Wynn wrote or edited nine books on marriage and family therapy issues and was a frequent lecturer at colleges and seminaries around the country.
Services were held April 13 at the Catonsville retirement community where Wynn lived with his wife of 65 years, Rachel. He is also survived by three children: Mark Wynn, Martha Wynn Borland and Maryan Wynn Ainsworth; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.