Rev. Dr. Thomas G. Radtke

Rev. Dr. Thomas Glenn Radtke, 79, entered eternal rest with his Lord and Savior on July 10, 2026, at Memorial Hospital in Springfield, Illinois, after enduring a valiant fight against Parkinson’s disease.

He was born February 19, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois, to Glenn Radtke and Vernelle (nee Wollenberg) Radtke. He was baptized on March 16, 1947, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Brookfield, Illinois, where he attended grade school and confirmed his Christian faith on March 26, 1961. His confirmation verse was Revelation 2:10b: “Be thou faithful until death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”

He graduated from Lyons (Ill.) Township High School in 1965. He attended Central Missouri State College in Warrensburg, Missouri, where he was active in the Lutheran campus ministry, including playing guitar and singing for coffee houses and services. It was at the Lutheran chapel where he met his to-be bride, Carol Leimkuehler. He graduated in 1971 with a degree in Mass Communications, and he and Carol were married on May 27, 1972, at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Brunswick, Missouri. They celebrated 54 years of marriage in May 2026.

The newlyweds moved to Chicago, where he worked in insurance. In 1974, Tom felt the Lord was calling him to be a pastor. They moved to Springfield, Illinois, where he attended Concordia Theological Seminary before it moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana. He graduated from the Fort Wayne seminary with a Master of Divinity degree in July 1978, and he was ordained at his home church, St. Paul’s-Brookfield, on July 30, 1978. He was called as Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Coal Valley, Illinois, and served there for five years. He subsequently answered the call to minister at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Springfield, Illinois, in February 1983. Affectionally known as the “pastor of the people,” he served Trinity full time for more than 29 years and is the congregation’s longest serving Pastor. He received his Doctor of Ministry degree in May 2005 from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. Even after retiring in May 2012, he continued to serve as visitation pastor.

Pastor Radtke was blessed with three sons: Bryan (wife Breanna) of Oak Park, Illinois; Brent (girlfriend Heidi Noel) of Springfield, Illinois; and Braden (wife Amanda) of Warren, Michigan. In addition, he enjoyed spending time with his seven grandchildren: Cheyenne Bluett, Hayden Radtke, Micaela Radtke, Rylan Radtke, Mia Radtke, Andrew Radtke, and Carter Radtke; and two great grandchildren: Lylah Bluett and R. Jack Bluett.

Pastor Radtke was known as a very patient person, which was attributable to the humility he developed from a lifelong passion for Chicago Cubs baseball and Chicago Bears football He always loved history and volunteered at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield for many years following his retirement.

A visitation will be held on Sunday, July 19, 2026, from 1 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church (220 S. Second; Springfield, Illinois). The funeral service will immediately follow the visitation.

A Live Stream is available at https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://youtube.com/live/lhYrX-qKk-E__;!!M2D_dUfSiN4E!KUMi06q_5yhBcBj0m1XjGujLz0MnWn4iL8BI2BByf24YuR0UZTF5lNeS04qr8abo9cgxZxOUfcH0-0caYy4L_ln_oGnzoXLIDA$

A private family burial will occur later.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church or Springfield Lutheran High School (5200 S. Sixth St., Frontage Road E, Springfield, Illinois 62703), or The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, Central Station, P.O. Box 4777, New York, NY 10163-4777