LTC Raymond “Bud” Guenther Jr., USA, Ret., 89, of Elizabethtown, Ky., died Monday, Jan. 24, 2022, at home with family at his side.
Bud was born Dec. 24, 1932, in Longbranch, New Jersey, to Ethel and Raymond Guenther of Summit, New Jersey. After graduation from Summit High School, he attended The Citadel of South Carolina.
During that time, Bud came to faith in Jesus on an evangelistic boat ride up the Hudson River. Shortly thereafter, Bud got a job as the head lifeguard at Word of Life Camp (Schroon Lake, New York) where he met Dorothea “Thea” Mae VanDam whom he married June 10, 1955. Bud and Thea dedicated their lives to serving the Lord there at the Word of Life Camp and maintained their commitment to the Lord’s service and their love for each other for the next 68-plus years.
After graduating from Faith Seminary in Philadelphia, Bud pastored two churches in the northeast, then joined the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps. His service included two tours of duty in Vietnam, one to Turkey and accompanied assignments in Massachusetts, Georgia, Hawaii, New York, Germany and Fort Knox. Bud and Thea retired in Elizabethtown, where he maintained a professional counseling practice for the next 30-plus years.
Bud is survived by his wife, Dorothea Mae Guenther of Elizabethtown; four children, Cynthea Krieger (Jeff) of Winter Haven, Florida, Catherine Williams (Gary) of Woodbridge, Virginia, Carol Huber (Jerry) of Wildwood, Missouri, and Camilla Green (Mark) of Ashland City, Tennessee; 12 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
The funeral is at 11 a.m. Feb. 17 at Grace Heartland Church, 801 Pear Orchard Road, Elizabethtown, with Pastor Jeff Noel officiating. Burial with military honors follows in Kentucky Veterans Cemetery-Central in Radcliff.
Visitation is from 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 16 at Nelson-Edelen-Bennett Funeral Home, 2072 S. Dixie Blvd., Radcliff, and 10 to 11 a.m. Feb. 17 at the church, prior to the memorial service.
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to the Word of Life Ministries: Camper Scholarships //give.wol.org/giveto0B502C, Student Scholarships give.wol/giveto0D621C or Talk to Gloriann at 518-494-.6000, ext. 5184946212, and simply give donation “In Memory of Bud Guenther.”
Condolences may be expressed nebfh.com.
Posted in: News Enterprise
Posted on: 2022-02-02
Link to original obituary: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/thenewsenterprise/name/raymond-bud-guenther-obituary?n=raymond-bud-guenther&pid=201294943&fhid=15407