Obituary of The Paul Gunsten

The Rev Paul "Chip" Gunsten died at Duke University Hospital Dec 11, 2012 from complications of chemotherapy. He had been battling lymphoma for over three years. Chip served as assistant director at Koinoia Lutheran Camp in Highland, NY, associate minister for Grace Lutheran Church in Winchester and minister at St Philip Lutheran Church in Roanoke before accepting the call to become Assistant to the Bishop of the Virginia Synod, ELCA. He was loved and respected by those he served and served with. What distinguished Chip was not his impressive height, but his great passion for ministry, his unwavering faith in others, his endless capacity for forgiveness, and his unique and infectious sense of humor. Christ was the center and hope of his life. He recruited and developed young ministers to serve in Virginia, and served congregations without clergy across the state. He had a great love of sports and the relationships they fostered. Above all, he helped raise two wonderful daughters, endeared himself to all he met, and modeled the grace he so fervently preached. Surviving Chip are his wife Kristin, his daughters Anna Gunsten and Sarah Krell and her husband Robert, his granddaughter Meredith, his sisters Pam Gunsten and Claujia Ritchie and her husband Alan, his niece Cody Heieren, his step-mother Martha Gunsten, his father-in-law James Hanson, his brothers-in-law Greg and Mark Hanson and Mark's wife Kara. A Service for the Celebration of Life will be held at 1:00 PM Saturday, December 15th, 2012, at St. Andrews Catholic Church in Roanoke, VA. There will be a visitation held from 4:00-7:00 PM Friday, December 14th, 2012, at College Lutheran Church in Salem, VA. Gifting in lieu of flowers may be made as donations to the Paul G. Gunsten Fund for Mission and Ministry, c/o Virginia Synod, ELCA P.O. Box 70, Salem, VA 24153