Philip Rudolph Kuehnert

The son, grandson, great grandson, nephew, brother, uncle and father-in-law to Lutheran pastors, Philip graduated from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri in 1969. He was ordained into the ministry of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod in June 1971. He served parishes in New Orleans, Atlanta, and Fairbanks, Alaska. Always committed to learning, he completed graduate work at the Presbyterian School of Christian Education (MRE, 1970) and Candler School of Theology (Th.D. 1987). He retired from the parish ministry and his work as a pastoral counselor in 2010.

Philip was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Judith Louise Wedig, who passed away in 2023. He and his wife enjoyed life, basking in the glow of supportive worshipping communities, work environments, and good health. After retirement they split time between their two homes in Virginia, one in Nelson County (sunrise side of the Blue Ridge Mountains) and the other in Williamsburg. They were avid cyclists, enjoying six bike tours in Europe as well as exploring bike trails in the Eastern part of the United States. After Judy’s death, Philip continued to travel across the country until the end of his life to spend time with family and friends and “show up” at important events. Four weeks before his death, Philip returned to Fairbanks for a ten-day reunion with friends and former parishioners.

From an early age, music defined much of Philip’s life; piano, organ, trombone and singing. While he often decried his limited natural talent, what talent he did have, he exploited to the fullest. The last couple of years of his life were filled with the joy of playing trombone with a Charlottesville-based group and collaborating with others to produce 16 devotional videos for the seasons of the church year.

Philip thrived in parish ministry and still his never-ending energy pushed him to explore ministry beyond the worshipping community. This led to 25 years as a pastoral counselor and the founding of a Samaritan Counseling Center in Fairbanks. His commitment to mission work bore fruit in the establishment of several Lutheran Child Development Centers and the creation of the Open Arms Institute.

Philip’s love of writing led him to become an amateur essayist, writing on a variety of topics. He left behind an unpublished memoir which he titled “Confessions of a Failed Conversionist.” He wrote weekly letters for six years to his youngest granddaughters and wrote a series of fifty “dispatches” to his older granddaughters. For almost ten years, he also wrote and emailed a “Monday Morning Encouragement” for Stephen Ministers and other caregivers. Philip was honored to co-author the book, Building Beloved Community in a Wounded World.

As a survivor of gun violence, Philip was an advocate for reasonable laws restricting access to certain types of guns. On February 15, 1972, Mardi Gras Day in New Orleans, he was shot in a mugging and contended with chronic health problems from related abdominal surgeries for the rest of his life. Philip was also an active supporter of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP) which advocates for economic, racial, and social justice in Virginia’s policies and practices through education, prayer, and action.

Philip is survived by four children: Jill Kuehnert (Glenn Wright), Rachel Becke (Chris), Cynthia Bowen (Chris) and Seth Kuehnert (Kristi), and by his beloved friend Mary. He loved and was loved by his grandchildren – Jenna and Michelle, Kennedy and Lindsay, Carolina, Courtney, and Croix, and Emma and Abigail– and their families, which include three young great-granddaughters; as well as brother Mark, sister Sara, and in-laws, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

A funeral service for Philip Kuehnert will be held at King of Glory Lutheran Church in Williamsburg, Virginia on Monday, May 12 at 9:30 a.m. The community is welcome to share breakfast and remembrances with family and friends before the service, beginning at 7:00 am.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the King of Glory School in joyful remembrance of Philip’s lifelong work with children and their families and his commitment to sharing the love of Jesus with them. Checks should be made out to King of Glory School, with “Phil & Judy Kuehnert Scholarship Fund” indicated in the memo line and mailed to the school at 4897 Longhill Road, Williamsburg, VA 23188.