[Diocese of Mississippi] The Rt. Rev. Alfred Clark “Chip” Marble Jr. died March 29 at his home in Greensboro, North Carolina, with family members at his bedside.

Marble had been in declining health for some time. He was 81 years old.

Marble was consecrated as the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Mississippi in 1993 after serving as bishop coadjutor under Bishop Duncan M. Gray Jr. beginning in 1991.  He served the church as deacon, priest and bishop for almost 50 years.

His ministry began as a curate at St. James’ in Jackson in 1967.  He served at St. Timothy’s in Southaven, Holy Cross in Olive Branch, St. Peter’s in Oxford (where he also served as chaplain at Ole Miss and at Church of the Nativity in Water Valley), Mediator in Meridian, and as a member of the staff in the Diocese of East Carolina.

After retiring as diocesan in Mississippi in 2003, Marble served as an assisting bishop in the Diocese of North Carolina from 2005 to 2013.

While diocesan in Mississippi, Marble gave his support to a build a strong diaconate ministry. “It was the vision of Bishop Marble that brought the vocational diaconate into being in this diocese,” Bishop Duncan Gray III said in 2013 when Gray announced the name change of the diaconal program to The A.C. Marble Center for Theological Formation. The school operates out of The Gray Center and in coordination with the Iona Initiative out of the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas.  It continues to train new generations of vocational deacons and, more recently, transitional deacons, for ministry in the Diocese of Mississippi.

“Bishop Marble loved the Lord and joyfully represented Jesus’ love for the world,” Bishop Brian Seage said after learning of Marble’s death.

Marble is survived by his wife, Diene, and two boys, Matt and Jonathan. Your notes of condolence, love and support may be mailed to the family at 1611 Red Forest Road, Greensboro, NC 27410.

A semi-private burial office will be held on April 24, 2017, at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Bovina, Mississippi with the Presiding Bishop Michael Curry officiating. On April 25, 2017, the Episcopal Church of the Mediator, Meridian, Mississippi, will host a churchwide Requiem Eucharist at 10:30 a.m., with  Curry as celebrant and preacher.