Alan Worth Wallerstedt

Alan Worth Wallerstedt of Indianola passed away Tuesday, December 19, 2023 at The Village in Indianola. Alan loved his Orthodox Christian faith, his family, and the Hawkeyes.
Alan was dedicated to his early education in religion and philosophy, learning Latin and Greek, and his later work on the Orthodox Study Bible has been said to have helped many believers around the world gain depth in their understanding of God. He graduated from Grinnell College with a B.A. in Philosophy in 1970 (Honors), and then attended Vanderbilt Divinity School, Dallas Theological Seminary, and the Academy of Orthodox Theology in Santa Barbara, CA, where he was an Assistant Professor and also the Managing Editor for the publication of the Orthodox Study Bible. For a time, he was amusingly listed on Amazon as the "author" of the bible.
After the Academy closed (it later re-opened in Sacramento), he served for ~20 years as a Residential Aide and Teacher at Devereux (Goleta, CA) working with people with disabilities, including adults with autism spectrum disorders. He is remembered as a significant addition to St. Athanasius Orthodox Church in Goleta, CA, where he also served in the choir for years.
Alan had a great sense of humor and a quick wit, and he loved running when he was younger, and later took long walks along the beach cliffs in Goleta, CA. He often took his kids for bike rides around the University of California, Santa Barbara campus or out along the trails of the ocean cliffs, sometimes including the family dog, of course named Hawkeye.
After retiring, he relocated back to his hometown of Indianola, IA, and it was his wish to be buried near family. He resided in The Village, which is the same wonderful community that also cared for his mother, Jane Wallerstedt, before her passing.
Alan is survived by his children: Kirsten Wallerstedt (Mat Strong), Nick Wallerstedt and Tess Wallerstedt, and his brothers Chuck and Barry (Anne) Wallerstedt. He is preceded in death by his parents, Bob and Jane Wallerstedt.
Graveside services will be held 11a.m., Wednesday, January 3, 2024 in the Union Cemetery, Boxholm, IA. To send flowers, please deliver to: The Village (in honor of Alan Wallerstedt), 1203 North E St, Indianola, IA 50125. Memorial donations can also be made to the the Good Shepherd Fund at The Village in Indianola; in part why Alan moved to The Village is their promise to care for residents even if their financial resources deplete.