John F. Panning

John Frederic Panning, of Holland, Michigan, peacefully departed this life on December 23, 2020.  Born in Hamburg, Minnesota to Ernst and Lydia (Weller), John lived a rich and full life serving his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He was baptized and confirmed at Emmanuel Lutheran church in Hamburg.   His high school and junior college years were spent at Concordia Academy,  St. Paul.  From Concordia Seminary, St.Louis,  he earned a B.A. in 1950, and a Theological diploma in 1953.  On March 28, 1953 he married Helen Lueth, in Minneapolis, MN.  Their marriage   of 67 years was blessed with five children: Steven, Catherine (Voorhees), David, Nathan and Elizabeth (Cecchettini), their spouses, nine grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.  

He was much loved, and will be deeply missed. He served in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod as Pastor of:     Immanuel, Manhattan, NY (1953-55);      Redeemer, Corning, NY (1955-58);      First Trinity, Buffalo, NY (1958-71);      Immanuel, Gaylord, MN (1971-77);      Redeemer, Evansville, IN (1977-84);     St. John, Grand Haven, MI (1989-92).   He earned a Master's degree in German and Gothic Literature and Languages from University of New York at Buffalo in 1969 and earned a Master of Divinity from Concordia Seminary in 1971, in Inter-testamental History.   At age 58, John combined his love for the Lord with his love of flying when he served as a Pastor-Pilot for L.A.M.P. in Canada, Northwest Territories and Alaska (1984-89). 

John and Helen spent several months in Siberia sharing God's Word with those they met there. Other areas of his life that gave him joy and satisfaction were:  being a descendant of a Minnesota Pioneer family; playing baseball in his youth and pitching a (left-handed) "no-hitter" for his college team, and privately playing his guitar for more than eighty years. As a boy he dreamed of flying, a passion that he realized with over three thousand flight hours between his 40's and 80's.  At 80, John test-piloted a friend's home-built, open-cockpit Italian Macchi replica amphibious bi-plane. He served the Michigan Civil Air patrol as a chaplain for over twenty five years, started a small language club with his friends to practice their Greek, and read his daily devotions in German and Hebrew.

A man of faith, integrity and humor,  he prayed daily for all his family members, by name, and offered a cheerful greeting to all he met.  Helen and the family offer thanks to their church family at Christ Our Savior in Holland, and the healthcare workers at Holland Hospital, Freedom Village, and Hospice for their kind care of John.  

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

A service in celebration of his life will be held at a later date.

Memorials may be directed "In Memory of Rev. John F. Panning" to: Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church, 3151 N. 120th Ave., Holland, MI 49424(Memo:General fund). OR to: Concordia Seminary Attn: Advancement, 801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, MO  63105.

Please visit www.lakeshorememorial.com for further information.