Alfred Eugene Bastin Jr

The Reverend Alfred "Al" Eugene Bastin, Jr., age 71, passed away on September 11, 2026 after a brief illness. Al was born to Alfred, Sr. and Ruth Bastin and grew up in Decatur. Georgia. He graduated from Decatur High School in 1973 and then went on to attend Mercer University where he earned a degree in History and was very active in student government. He felt a call to ministry and received a Master of Divinity degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary where he met his future wife Carol. He served at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Charles City, Virginia and Calvary Baptist Church in Charlottesville, Virginia.

In 1991, he transferred his ministerial standing to the United Church of Christ where he was able to live out his understanding of the gospel and its connection to social justice. He served at Mount Olivet United Church of Christ in Dyke, Virginia, St. John's United Church of Christ in Niles, Michigan, First United Church of Christ in Troy, Ohio and St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania. Al was devoted to the members of his congregations and put a particular emphasis on pastoral care. He frequently extended that care into the local communities - one of the proudest accomplishments of his career was founding the Backpack Program in Troy, Ohio which provided food for children at risk of weekend hunger and still exists almost 20 years later. In addition to serving his local congregations, he was active in roles at the Association and Conference levels of the United Church of Christ.

Al retired in 2025 after 42 years of ministry, and he was able to relocate to his beloved hometown of Decatur. He was a history and trivia aficionado - he loved driving people through Decatur and telling them random historical facts, and he enjoyed volunteering at the Decatur Historical Society in his spare time. One of the regrets of his life was that he never made it onto Jeopardy. Al was also a passionate foodie and loved taking family and friends to new restaurants. One of his greatest joys in retirement was a weekly lunch date with a group of friends from high school. He was a devoted fan of the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Falcons, and he spent every spare minute he could at his family's cabin on Lake Burton in Rabun County.

In 1988 Al became a father to his daughter Emily, who was his carbon copy in both looks and personality. He was a frequent volunteer at all her school events, including playing Santa for preschool parties and volunteering as her elementary art school teacher. He wasn't much of a dancer, but he never missed a chance to spin her around the floor at a father-daughter dance to the song that always made him think of her, Lionel Ritchie's "Three Times a Lady." Al and Emily were two peas in a pod and frequently bonded over their love of Broadway, good food, books, and

random trivia - in fact, Al only ever lost one game of Trivial Pursuit in his life, and it was to Emily.

But the true great love of Al's life was his granddaughter, Lydia Ruth, who was named in honor of his mother and grandmother. Lydia and her granddaddy were best friends. Every time he came to visit, she would squeal, yell "Granddaddy" and run straight into his arms. They loved to read, take naps together and watch "Bluey" while snuggling on the couch. In his final days, Al was at peace with his journey to his Eternal Home, but his one regret was that he wouldn't be here to see his beloved Lydia grow up. He was an excellent pastor, a wonderful father, and he was the greatest Granddaddy who ever lived.

Al is survived by his former wife Carol, who he was married to for 35 years and with whom he remained very close, his daughter, Emily and his granddaughter, Lydia. He is also survived by his mother, Ruth, his sisters Cynthia Bastin and Sherri Godwin (Rusty), his brother Keith Bastin (Lottie) and his four nieces Laura, Anisa, Courtney and Avery.

He was preceded in death by his father Alfred, Sr. and his brother Scott Bastin. A private funeral will be held at Virginia Highland UCC in the coming weeks. In honor of Al's devotion to his granddaughter Lydia, the family asks that in lieu of flowers, any donations be made to Lydia's preschool, Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool. Donations may be sent to the school's Venmo @Oakhurstcoop, or may be processed on the school's website via their Feed the Birds Annual Fund. https://oakhurst-cooperative-preschool.square.site