Archpriest Stephen Plumlee fell asleep in the Lord January 14, 2026, at the age of 86.
Born on May 25, 1939, Father Stephen graduated from Saint Vladimir’s Seminary in 1969, and was ordained to the priesthood that same year. Following graduation he was assigned to the Chapel of Saint Innocent of Irkutsk, an English-language community at the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection in Manhatta
In the 1960s and 1970s, Father Stephen and his wife, Matushka Lois, were instrumental in organizing monthly trips with seminarians to hospitals and mental health institutions in the New York area. Father Stephen was a licensed and practicing psychotherapist who at one time served as Dean of Students at Blanton-Peale Graduate Institute in Manhattan.
As a member of the OCA’s Department of Lay Ministries, he was actively involved in the Church’s official outreach and ministries to people with special needs and disabilities. He had also participated in various activities of the Orthodox Christian Association of Medicine, Psychology, and Religion (OCAMPR).
Father Stephen was attached to Saint Mark Church, Bradenton, FL, in his retirement. During his active priestly ministry, he had served there for several years starting in 1988, and also pastored the English-speaking community at the bilingual Christ the Savior Church in New York City, beginning in 1976, which was then under the leadership of Father John Meyendorff.
Father Stephen was predeceased by his beloved Matushka Lois, who fell asleep in the Lord on April 30, 2013.
Funeral services for Father Stephen will be held at Saint Mark Church in Bradenton, FL. Monday, January 19, 6:00 PM Funeral Vigil; Tuesday, January 20, 9:00 AM Funeral Liturgy. The Committal and Burial will take place Tuesday, January 20, at 2:30 PM at Oak Lawn Cemetery in Sanford, FL.
May Father Stephen’s memory be eternal!