How did the community respond to Dennis's death?

Ruth's first husband, Andrew McBride (or Dennis), became a Baptist minister, and the couple founded the New Brown Memorial Church in the Red Hook housing project. He passed away at forty-five of lung cancer, and James is the last of his children. Andrew McBride, whom Ruth described as a man with "vision", died before James was born. The church parish and surrounding community were deeply saddened by the loss of Dennis.