Stuart Lundahl

STUART P. LUNDAHL SEATTLE, WA - Surrounded by his family, Stuart Perry Lundahl, of Seattle, Washington, passed away at his home in Seattle, WA on July 26, 2014. Stuart was born in 1928, and raised in Rockford, IL by Swedish immigrants, Perry and Sarah Lundahl. After graduating from Rockford East High School, he served in the Naval Reserve. In 1950, a life-changing experience at a youth retreat sent him on an unexpected journey to become a Lutheran minister. He attended Augustana College in Rock Island, IL where he played football, was President of the Swedish club, and attended Augustana Seminary afterward. He was ordained as a pastor into the Augustana Lutheran Church in 1957. Stuart was a family man who lived life to the fullest. He met Dorothy at college. They married in 1954, and had their first of three sons, David, in 1956. Philip was born in 1959, and Mark in 1968. He loved building for family. For Dorothy it was house improvements. For the boys it was skating ponds, toboggan slides and tree houses. He built two tent trailers for family camping and a sailboat. He loved adventures especially while taking the family sailing, skiing, fishing or camping. Building and adventures also translated into his work. He served as a mission developer in Edmonton (Alberta) and Matteson, IL. Major construction projects happened when he served parishes in Saskatoon (Saskatchewan) and in his home town of Rockford, IL at Gloria Dei Lutheran. In 1969, he became a certified Chaplain. He served in geriatric ministries in Park Ridge, IL, and then took the family on a new adventure to the Pacific Northwest where he served as Director of Pastoral Ministries at Fairlawn Towne and Care Center in Gresham, OR. In 1984, he returned to parish ministry at Bethany Lutheran, Seattle, WA, of the ELCA, where he redesigned the sanctuary before formally retiring in 1994. Retirement did not stop Stuart from being a pastor. His passion for adventure lead him and Dorothy to interim ministries in Seattle, WA, Dillingham, AK, Great Bend, KS, Lewiston, ID, and Everett, WA. His final interim was in 2013, at Finnish Lutheran, Seattle. He will be forever loved and admired for forming and leading "The Church of the Holy Donut," a group that meets weekly at Aurora Donuts in N. Seattle. Stuart will be remembered for how he lived out his beliefs through action. In 1965, he marched with Martin Luther King to the Alabama state capitol in Montgomery. He was a friend and mentor for all types of people, irrespective of who they were, what they believed, or their status in life. He had a special knack for bringing diverse people together. His acts of kindness often evolved into lasting relationships. He will be missed for his stories - their humor and embellishments that made repeats as funny as the first time. Stuart is preceded in death by parents, Perry and Sarah Lundahl. He is survived by his sister, Edna Arnquist, Rockford, IL and brother, Robert Lundahl, Portland, OR, whom he dearly loved and supported; by his loving wife, Dorothy and their three sons (wives), David (Shelly), Philip (Sheryl) and Mark (Tania), grandchildren, Anna, Erika, Savanah, Linnea, Johanna, and Christina, numerous nieces and nephews, and other family members who will miss him dearly. A celebration of life is scheduled at 11 a.m. Saturday, August 23rd, at Luther Memorial Lutheran Church in Seattle, WA. Memorial donations may be made to Luther Memorial Lutheran Church to support their active program for the homeless.