Rev. John O. Knudson, 1933-2026

John Otis Knudson died peacefully on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at the Health Care Center of Freedom Village at the age of 93.

John was born on April 23, 1933, in St. Maries, Idaho, to Otis and Stella (Isvik) Knudson. As his father accepted calls to serve as a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the family lived in St. Maries; Froid, Montana; and Woonsocket and Storla, South Dakota. His older sister Kathy played teacher with him after school, so well that he skipped from first grade to second. He never looked back.

Thanks to a farmer from his home congregation who paid his tuition, John along with his sister Kathy attended Augustana Academy in Canton, South Dakota, washing dishes and working summers on the farm to pay his way. He graduated valedictorian in 1950 and went on to Augustana College, where he majored in history and graduated summa cum laude, again as valedictorian, in 1954. Elected Student Body President on the slogan “Rocket to JOK,” he lost a halftime bet to the South Dakota State student body president, and with the bet, lost his pants. He wisely wore flaming red boxer shorts underneath. The college later honored him with its Distinguished Alumni Award. He sang in choirs and a touring quartet, and you always knew when John was in church, his strong voice rising up from the congregation.

John met Marjorie Joan Wagnild at Augustana Academy, and they began dating as high school seniors. They were married on June 17, 1956, in Windom, Minnesota, with the Rev. Otis Knudson officiating before 450 friends and family. They celebrated 70 years of marriage in 2026, 77 years after their first date.

John attended Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, from 1954 to 1958, as his father had, and interned at Grace Lutheran Church in Pasadena, California. He was ordained on July 27, 1958, at Trinity Lutheran Church in rural Storla, South Dakota, and first served a two-point parish in west central Minnesota: Trinity Lutheran in Brooten and West Lake Johanna Lutheran. In 1964 he was called to begin a mission congregation in Goleta, California. Knocking on doors and starting worship at the Timbers Restaurant he saw Christ Lutheran build its sanctuary within two years and become self-supporting. In 1975 he accepted the call to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Dana Point, serving 24 years until his retirement in 1999; the congregation grew, adding a preschool, an enlarged sanctuary, and an associate pastor. In retirement he served interim ministries at Hope Lutheran in Westminster and Our Redeemer in Garden Grove.

John was a pastor who focused on relationships: faithful in visiting in times of crisis, bringing communion to the homebound, and leading by building trust with lay leaders and members. He never put himself first. A quiet, grounded leader, he was always a prairie pastor who was also cosmopolitan and generous in perspective, able to see beyond conflict toward resolution. His voice of generous welcome was critical as the church welcomed women into ministry and LGBTQ into the church’s life and ministry.

John also served the wider church for decades. He served eight years on the National Church Council of the American Lutheran Church beginning in 1976, then as Dean of the El Camino Conference and Chairman of the South Pacific District council. In 1987 he was elected to the first ELCA Church Wide Council, serving eight years. He also served 15 years on the Mission Investment Fund Board of Trustees. He was a Convocator for California Lutheran University from 1988 to 2008.

John and Marj shared a blessed life in ministry, family, and travel. Their three children, Steven, Diane, and David, were born in Brooten. John was always home for supper, and the family spent month-long summer vacations at the family cabin on Green Lake, Minnesota. John and Marj encouraged each child to pursue their own gifts, and welcomed Becky and Bill into the family with grace. After retirement they traveled several times a year, reaching every continent but Antarctica. John was keenly interested in the church abroad, preaching in the Australian outback and before thousands in Beijing, where worshippers asked him to autograph their Bibles. “I am not Martin Luther,” he protested. A lifelong woodworker, he built furniture and cabinets for family homes and was especially proud of the knotty pine ceiling he finished at the cabin.

John is survived by his wife Marj; children Steven (Becky) Knudson of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Diane and her dear friend Christopher McClusky of Anaheim, and David and husband Bill Hohengarten of Ely, Minnesota; grandchildren Marija (Michael) Crosson and their children Owen, Noah, and Charles (Charlie) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Kristina (John) Kharouf and their children Antonio (Tony), Mikkel, and Luca of Seattle, Washington, and Peter Knudson of Hiawatha, Iowa. He is also survived by his siblings David (Marion) of Tacoma, Washington, Paul (Bobbi) of Hutchinson, Minnesota, and Phil (Cathy O’Neill) of Boylston, Massachusetts, and sister-in-law Margene Thompson of Storla, South Dakota.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Otis and Stella Knudson; his sister Kathy and her husband, Alvin Thompson, of Storla, South Dakota; and his great-grandson, Henry Crosson of Philadelphia.

A service of celebration and remembrance will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, November 9, 2026, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 23501 Stonehill Drive, Dana Point, CA 92629, with visitation at 10 a.m. and a luncheon following. The service will be streamed by Gloria Dei (www.mygloriadei.org) and can be found on YouTube (Gloria Dei, Dana Point, California). Burial will take place next summer at Hauges Cemetery in rural Jackson County, Minnesota. Memorials may be given to Gloria Dei Preschool and Lutheran World Relief.

The family thanks Pastor David Mattson and the people of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, the friends and staff at Freedom Village and Pine Terrace Memory Care, and the staff of Compassus Hospice for their care in these final weeks.

John O. Knudson led a faithful life of service and devotion to his family, his congregations, the wider Church, and the ministry of the Gospel. Well done, good and faithful servant.