Reverand Donald R. Gebert

1929 - 2021

Reverend Donald (Don) R. Gebert, 91, of The Woodlands, TX, passed away on March 15, 2021. He was born on June 11, 1929 in Philadelphia, PA. Don graduated from The University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business before entering the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.

Don married Barbara (nee. Hermanns) on June 16, 1951. From 1957 to 1963, the couple and their growing family served as Lutheran missionaries in Guyana, South America. Upon returning to the states, Don acted as senior pastor at St. Matthews Lutheran Church and founded King's Way Community Church in the lowest family income area of Philadelphia. He subsequently became associate director of the Philadelphia Foundation. He also served as the first Democrat elected to the Abington Township School Board while in PA.

In 1975 Don moved his family to The Woodlands, Texas to become founder and first Executive Director of The Interfaith Center, visiting each and every family that moved in as The Woodlands grew from 40 families to over 100,000 people today. He was instrumental in the creation of The Woodlands Resident Directory, The Woodlands Child Development Center, The Woodlands Villager, Montgomery County Youth Services, and The Woodlands Hospital.

After retiring from Interfaith, Don became Assistant to the Bishop of the ULCA Texas Lutheran Synod. He returned to The Woodlands to act as associate Pastor at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, where he was named Pastor Emeritus. He spent his final years serving as Chaplain at The Village in the Woodlands.

In 2018 Don became a recipient of the prestigious lifetime achievement honor, The Mitchell Award by The Woodlands Hometown Heroes, with the citation: "For 45 years, from the beginning of Interfaith of The Woodlands, you helped guide the vision and laid the groundwork for generations to be involved in the faith of the community."

Don and his wife, his best friend, planned to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary in June. They traveled the world, stopping at every "deuces wild" poker machine they could find along the way. Don was an avid sports fan, game player, competitor, and compassionate human being who loved to care for others in their time of need. He combined his business school background with his spiritual experience to deliver a unique, sensible, and caring approach to the people he touched. He simply made the world a better place.

Don is survived by his wife Barbara, his five children and their spouses; Sue and Tom Probst, Judy and Pete Neison, Rick and Ann Gebert, Bob Gebert, and Kathy Hartford; eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life will take place in June, coinciding with what would have been their seventieth wedding anniversary. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Gebert Mission Fund through Lord of Life Lutheran Church or Interfaith of The Woodlands.