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The Rev John Louis Kinzel of Shannondell at Valley Forge died on August 7th, 2016. John was born in Port Chester, New York on March 9th, 1925 to Louis C. Kinzel and Cora Raymond Taylor Kinzel. He grew up in the Town of Greenwich, CT where he attended the public schools. He graduated from Greenwich High School in June 1942 and was enrolled in Wittenberg College, Springfield, OH in September of that same year. After completing his first year, he was inducted into the United States Navy and served until May 1946. He returned to Wittenberg and completed his studies in August 1948. In September of that year, he entered the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and was graduated in May 1951. He was ordained by the United Lutheran Synod of New York in Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Brooklyn, NY on May 23, 1951 and was called to St John’s Lutheran Church of New Utrecht, Brooklyn, NY where he served for two years. He then received a call to St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Eggertsville, NY where he served until 1967. He then accepted a call to serve as the Lutheran Campus Pastor for metropolitan Philadelphia and during that time, University Lutheran Church of the Incarnation was organized and he served as its first pastor. In 1975 he was called to be the pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Norristown, PA where he served until his retirement in 1990. In 1951, he and Doris Ebert were married in Trinity Lutheran Church Germantown, PA. Two daughters were born to them, Joni Louise Cox of Wymondham, England and Julie Jean Kinzel of Creamery, PA. Throughout his ministry, John was involved in many synodical committees and programs. He served on the Committee on Worship and Music of the New York Synod and on the Executive Committee and on the Examining Committee for Candidates for Ordination of the Southeastern PA Synod of the Lutheran Church in America. He also served on the School and Family Life Advisory Board in Amherst NY and other Board of Directors of the Artman Home Ambler, PA and the Mary J Drexel Board, Gladwyne, PA, the Board of Directors of the Dolphins of Delaware Valley, local AARP chapter and was the program coordinator for the Lutherhostels held at the Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia in conjunction with the Association of Lutheran Older Adults (ALOA). He held dear the friends, pastors and staff of his faith community, St Luke Lutheran church. He was a member of the Wayne Oratorio Society and also volunteered for several years at Bryn Mawr Hospital. He was preceded in death by his wife Doris in January 2012 and his brother Dr Raymond Kinzel in 2014 as well as many loved ones. He is survived by daughter Joni Cox and her husband Edmund, daughter Julie and her spouse Amy Smith, nieces, nephews, great nephews and cousins. A funeral service will be held at St Luke Lutheran Church 203 N. Valley Forge Rd. Devon, PA on Saturday August 13 at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St Luke Lutheran Church pastoral discretionary fund or to the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in his memory.

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Reverend John L. Kinzel

March 9, 1925 - August 7, 2016

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Reverend John L. Kinzel

March 9, 1925 - August 7, 2016

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