Reverend Paul D. Gongloff (STH ’73)
This obituary was originally posted by Anthony Funeral & Cremation and can be found here.
Rev. Paul David Gongloff, aged 77, died at the Palliative Care Unit of Strong Memorial Hospital on Sept. 16, 2023 following a stroke on Sept. 4th and in the company of his wife, daughter and son.
He was born in Bridgeton, NJ in 1945 and is predeceased by his parents, Garth LeRoy and Esther Harbison Gongloff and his sister and brother in law, J Everett and Beverly Hancock and our much loved exchange student daughter, Eunice deCarvalho of Luanda, Angola.
Paul received BA and BArch degrees from Syracuse University, GO ORANGE! (where he was pursued by the love of his life until he caught her), and an MTh from Boston University School of Theology. He was ABD for his DMin. He served United Methodist congregations in Kanona/Wheeler, Fayetteville, Christ Community, and Bellevue Heights where our family grew up. Paul was called to Asbury First in 1990 and subsequently served Christ View and Covenant where his mature vocational skills and passion for urban ministry found a home in a loving and supportive congregation. Paul wept and tried to be helpful in the current struggles of our church and looks forward to a time when the people called United Methodists can love each other as God loves all people.
He was also a husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, and friend. We had to share him with the world, and sometimes that was hard for us. But we knew that his love for us superseded all.
He told jokes and puns that made us laugh until the tears ran and we were breathless. He was a philosopher, writer, choral singer, stone carver, painter and a man who fashioned unique storage boxes out of scrap wood. He washed used aluminum foil in the dishwasher so we could use it again, composted kitchen scraps for the garden, and never used plastic bags only once. He collected rubber bands and paper clips, and reused nails, nuts and bolts . He taught us all to love God’s world and to enjoy our time in it, as well as our roles and responsibilities to it. When at our camp, at the ocean, in our back yards and in each country we visited in our travels, he saw the beauty. He took personal responsibility for climate change, pollution, political upheaval, violence, genocide, racism, and the abuse of children and refugees throughout the world.
Paul loved his grandchildren, and greeted them with respect for who God made them to be, but also with puns, riddles, books, lateral thinking puzzles, “duck talk”, tool boxes and random telephone calls to ask them the purpose of goosebumps and fingernails. He made them feel good inside. Whatever gifts he sent were always intricately wrapped in layers of recycled paper and way too much tape.
Paul is survived by the love of his life and “first trophy wife” of 52 years, Nancy Allen Gongloff. He always told her that she looked best in red (“she’s the one who turns my head”), that her cooking was better than anyone else’s (“so why would we go out to eat?”), and that she was his most enthusiastic travel companion.
Paul is also survived by our beloved children: Erica Leigh Gongloff (Colin Doolittle), Luke Allen Gongloff (Amanda Gongloff) and nine grandchildren: Aidan, Sage Nadia, Milo, Megan, Matthew, Melanie, Annabella, and Lucas. He was also so grateful for our nephew, Michael Hancock and niece, Faith Hancock Borradaile.
Paul was able to be a tissue donor and would encourage others to consider donation as well.
His funeral will be held on Friday, September 29th at 2PM at Asbury First United Methodist Church, with a reception to follow in the church Gathering Center. The service will be livestreamed here. Memorial gifts may be directed to The UnTours Foundation at 103 Chesley Drive Suite 200 Media, PA 19063 or to Asbury First UMC Storehouse, 1050 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14607.