Rev. Theodore Wittrock

The Rev. Theodore "Ted" Wittrock of Katonah, N.Y., passed away Thursday, July 4, 2002.

He was born Jan. 16, 1920, near Alta Vista, Kan., son of the Rev. William and Ella Zwieg Wittrock. He was married to the former Lenore Moltzan April 15, 1950.

He attended elementary school in Alta Vista, and the Christian day school in the Hanover community near Cape Girardeau. His father, the late William Wittrock, was pastor of Hanover Lutheran Church from 1928 to 1955.

Ted graduated from College High School in Cape Girardeau in 1937, from Concordia College in Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1941, and from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. While at the seminary he took courses in group work at Washington University, and later did work on the field of public relations at New York's City College.

Pastor Wittrock served as student intern at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Richmond, Va., from June 1944 through June 1945. During the latter half of 1946 he served as missionary-at-large in Southern California. For the year 1947 he was pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Trona, Calif., and Our Savior Lutheran Church in Ridgecrest, Calif.

Early in January 1948 he became executive secretary of the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau (A.L.P.B.) with offices in New York City. He held that position 21 years.

As part of his effort to promote and expand the work of the A.L.P.B., he attended 200 district conventions of the LCMS throughout the United States. He was also highly involved in the promotion of the very popular evangelism program known as "The Sharing Christ Plan."

While directing the work of the A.L.P.B., he was also active in public relations work for the Atlantic District, as well as a longtime member and chairman four years of the radio and TV department of the Counsel of Churches in the City of New York.

He was a member of the National Religious Public Relations Counsel and for a number of years was president of the New York City Chapter of the organization. From 1948 to 1965 he was pulpit assistant at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Flushing, N.Y.

In January 1969 Pastor Wittrock was installed as the pastor of Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Bronx, N.Y. From 1969 through 1976 he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Atlantic District, for two years he served as chairman of the district's Special Ministries Department, and four years was vice president of the Atlantic District's Region II.

In 1982 Pastor Wittrock was elected to be a member of the Board of Regents of Concordia College, Bronxville, N.Y. He served on the board from 1982 to 1991. On May 17, 1991, Pastor Wittrock, along with his wife, Lenore, was awarded the "Servant of Christ" medal from Concordia College in Bronxville.

In 1994 he was awarded by the A.L.P.B. for outstanding service in the field of publicity and public relations for the Lutheran Church in the United States, and for 25 years as a parish pastor in the Bronx.

Throughout the years while serving as pastor of Redeemer, he had been actively involved with other Lutheran churches in the Bronx, including the Circuit Conference, AARP, American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, and the 47th Precinct.

On Sunday, Jan. 16, 2000, (his 31st anniversary) Pastor Wittrock retired from Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church. As pastor emeritus of Redeemer, he continued his faithful service to Redeemer, the Bronx, and the Atlantic District of the LCMS.

Pastor Wittrock is survived by his wife, Lenore of Katonah; his daughters, Hope Wittrock of Greenwich, Conn., Gabrielle Belz of Davenport, Iowa, Christa Curley of Brewster, N.Y.; a son-in-law, six grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by a daughter, a son, his parents, three brothers, and five sisters.

The funeral and service reflecting ecclesiastical honor was held at Redeemer Lutheran Church in the Bronx Tuesday, July 9, 2002. He was buried in Brewster.

Announcement courtesy of Ford and Sons Funeral Home.