Richard Kirchhoffer
Rev. Richard A. Kirchhoffer, 91, a
longtime Whitefish resident, passed away March 21, 2011, at The
Springs at Whitefish.
He was born Aug. 5, 1919, at Riverside,
Calif., the son of Bishop and Mrs. Kirchhoffer, of Indianapolis,
Ind.
Richard was raised in Mobile, Ala. He
attended the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn. After
graduation, he attended Officer Candidate School at the U.S. Naval
Academy. Following his OCS training, he joined the Navy Reserves
and was called to active duty. He served as an officer on the
U.S.S. Honolulu in the Pacific during World War II.
He was united in marriage to Patricia
Eaglefield on Oct. 13, 1945, in Indianapolis. Following his
discharge from the Navy, he attended the Virginia Theological
Seminary. He was ordained as an Episcopal priest in 1948. He served
churches in Tennessee, Hawaii, Wyoming and Montana. He retired in
1984, and he and Patricia remained in Whitefish.
Richard was an advocate for peace and
justice and causes that benefit the poor. He was also very active
in community affairs. He was also active in the Peace Alliance and
even stood in front of the “White Train” in Whitefish that was
carrying nuclear missiles.
He and Patricia were active as members
of the Literacy Volunteers of America and also hosted many exchange
students over the years.
Richard loved the outdoors and was an
avid hiker. He was attacked by a grizzly bear in Glacier National
Park and survived to tell the story. He loved board games, card
games and cribbage, and he loved to play the game Sequence. He was
also an avid reader. He made many mobiles from drift wood, shells
and beach glass.
Richard was a member of the All Saints
Episcopal Church of Whitefish and the Whitefish Rotary Club.
He is survived by his wife Patricia
Kirchhoffer, of Whitefish; his three daughters, Mary Porter, of
Atlanta, Ga., Marg Tsukaguchi, of Philadelphia, Pa., and Trish
Kirchhoffer, of Whitefish; two sons, Richard A. Kirchhoffer III, of
Vancouver, Wash., and Christopher Kirchhoffer, of Wenatchee, Wash.;
six grandchildren; and two brothers, Don Kirchhoffer, of
Pennsylvania, and Jim Kirchhoffer, of California.
Memorial services will be held at noon
on Wednesday, March 30, 2011, at the All Saints Church east of
Whitefish on Conn Road off Hwy. 40. The family suggests that any
memorial contributions be sent to the All Saints Church Building
Fund, 2048 Conn Road, Columbia Falls MT 59912.