Joseph Pallikkathayil

1941 - 2021

Joseph Pallikkathayil
May 21, 1941 - December 12, 2021
Columbia, Missouri - Joseph Nicholas Pallikkathayil, 80, died peacefully at his home in Columbia, Missouri on December 12, 2021, with his wife, Leonie, by his side. Joe was born on May 21, 1941, to Nicholas and Victoria Pallikkathayil in Kerala, India. He grew up with three brothers and three sisters. After 10 years of seminary studies, he was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1968. He lived his life in service to God and fellow humans. He served as an assistant parish priest for three years in Kerala. In 1971, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri for his studies and to continue reflecting on questions he had begun to have about his vocation as a priest. After much prayer, he realized that he was called to marriage rather than the celibacy required of Catholic priests. He married his beloved wife, Leonie, on December 30, 1972. They moved from St. Louis to Cincinnati, Ohio so that he could continue his studies and find another way to serve God. While in Cincinnati, he served as a part-time assistant pastor at Bondhill Presbyterian Church from 1973-74 and as the solo and later senior pastor at Carmel Presbyterian Church from 1974-1981, having been ordained by the Presbyterian Church USA in 1975. He also received his Ed.D., in Counseling Psychology from the University of Cincinnati in 1979. During these years, Joe and Leonie struggled to have children. In 1979, they were blessed with a daughter, Japa. In 1981, Joe gave up his thriving ministry in Cinncinati to move to Kansas City in support of his wife's calling to teach psychiatric nursing at the University of Kansas. After the move, he was called as an associate pastor to Colonial Presbyterian Church. In 1982, Joe and Leonie were blessed with a son, Jothi. In 1987, Joe was called as pastor by St. Luke Presbyterian Church (now GlenHaven Church). He served there for twenty years and retired honorably in 2007. He was given the title Pastor Emeritus by the Presbytery. Although he was retired, his desire to serve God in a pastoral capacity was as strong as ever. He went through interim pastor training and served as the interim pastor for six churches: Grace Presbyterian Church in Crystal City, Missouri; First Presbyterian Church in Danville, Virginia; First Presbyterian Church in Parsons, Kansas; Brookdale Presbyterian Church in St. Joseph, Missouri; Zion Mennonite Church in Bridgewater, South Dakota; Westminster Presbyterian Church in Westminster, California. During this time, Joe also received a miraculous blessing in the form of a double lung transplant in 2012 after struggling for some time with ideopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He and his family were profoundly grateful for the years they had together following this operation. Joe is survived by his wife, their two children and their spouses, three grandchildren, two younger brothers and a younger sister. A memorial service will be held at GlenHaven Church, 4301 NE Vivion Rd, Kansas City, MO 64119 on December 26, 2021 at 2 pm, followed by commital of his remains at the memorial garden on the church grounds that he inspired the church to develop, and concluding with a celebration meal. The service will be streamed at fb.com/glenhavenchurch/. In lieu of flowers, it is his wish contributions be sent to the Pallikkathayil Charity Fund, which Joe started and was excited to see grow. Checks should be made payable to the Presbyterian Foundation with "Pallikkathayil Charity Fund, DAF 102275000017" on the memo line, and sent to the Presbyterian Foundation, 200 East Twelfth Street, Jeffersonville, IN 47130.