Irving John DeYoung

Born July 1, 1928 in Brooklyn, New York

Died October 18, 2017 in Sugar Land, TX

When John was 2 years old, his family moved to Santa Monica, CA. At age 17, his family (including sister Barbara and brother Bob) were all baptized as Christians and he and his sister were recruited to Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. While on choir tour, he met Annamarie Walther and they married in 1951 in Nashua, Iowa. John continued on to Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa and was ordained in 1954. His first call was in Sunnyslope, AZ where Paulette and Lisa were born. His second parish was in Aurora, CO where David was born. On Dec. 29, 1960, the family headed to Japan where John and Annamarie began their 30 year ministry as ALC Lutheran missionaries. After 2 years of intensive language study in Tokyo, the family moved to Shizuoka where John led the Oshika Lutheran Church for several years before opening the Shizuoka Student Center. Both John and Annamarie taught English at Shizuoka University and other institutions of higher education where they met students and invited them to the Student Center. Many of these students went on to be baptized and became lifelong Christians. In 1984, John and Annamarie were transferred to Kyoto, Japan where they continued work with college students.

In 1991, they retired from the mission field and moved to Houston, TX where their daughter Lisa and husband Dave lived with their only grandchildren, Eric and Andrew. John kept busy as an interim pastor even after retirement at ELCA churches in the area including those in Freeport, Alvin, El Campo and Houston. He was also very active with the Japan-American Society. Photography was a continuing passion and he left behind a trove of treasures for the family to remember precious memories of the past.

Beloved son David died of complications from AIDS in 1992 in California. Daughter Paulette lives in Oregon with her husband Doug Easton.

John's joy in the past few years was going to the Pastor's Bible study and Retired Pastor's Events. When he was no longer able to drive, his dear friend Walter Little drove him to Bible Study every week (thank you Walter!) But most of all, he loved his 2 grandsons and their sweethearts: Eric & fiancé Renee and Andrew & wife Kristi. He promised Kristi he would not leave this earth until his first great grandchild was born and on Oct. 7th, he kept his promise and he expressed his great joy at meeting Holly Elizabeth Jastram.

The family would like to thank St. Martin's Lutheran Church, and the loving staff at the Sycamores in Sugar Land for their support and care during John's last few months.