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.