The following is a weekly listing of Nazarene ministers and leaders who recently went home to be with the Lord. Notices were received March 16-20, 2015. 

R. C. "Red" Bales, 99, of Yakima, Washington, passed away March 9. He was a longtime member of West Valley Church of the Nazarene in Yakima, Washington, serving on the church board and as the Nazarene Young People's Society (now Nazarene Youth International) president. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mildred Bales.

Evelyn (Toepfer) Clason, 93, of Midwest City, Oklahoma, passed away March 13. She was the widow of elder Warren Clason, who passed away in 1982.

Richard Dean, 86, of Puyallup, Washington, passed away March 14. He was a retired minister, serving in Oklahoma and Missouri. He is survived by his wife, Sharon Dean.

Robert "Bob" Denham Sr., 86, of Redding, California, passed away March 13. He was a retired minister, serving in Washington, Alaska, and California. He was preceded in death by his wife, Bernice Denham, in January 2014. 

Thomas Eaton, 76, of Holly Lake, Florida, passed away March 17. He was a retired minister, serving in Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas. He is survived by his wife, Karen (Cohrs) Eaton.

Robert Hitchcox, 64, of Rossville, Georgia, passed away March 10. He was a member of Battlefield Parkway Church of the Nazarene for more than 20 years, serving on the church board, the Georgia District camp board, and the Sunday School board. He is survived by his wife, Dianne Hitchcox.

Everett Penrod, 99, of Sun City, Arizona, passed away March 13. He was a retired minister and chaplain, serving in California. He is survived by his wife, Gail Penrod.

Margaret "Marge" Smith, 96, of Olathe, Kansas, passed away March 15. She was the widow of retired minister and educator R. Curtis Smith, who served in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. R. Curtis Smith, founding president of MidAmerica Nazarene University, passed away in 1989. (story)

Harmon Thrasher, 82, of Greenfield, Indiana, passed away March 16. He was a retired minister and evangelist, serving in Indiana and Florida. He is survived by his wife, Lilly Thrasher.

For previous editions of In Memoriam, see the "Passings" section on ncnnews.com by clicking here.

Note: Please join with us in prayer for the families who have lost loved ones. Click on names for full stories, funeral information, local online obituaries, and/or guest books (if available). To submit an entry of a minister or church leader, send to submitnews@ncnnews.com.
--Compiled by NCN News