Verlyn Henry Clausen

Verlyn Henry Clausen, of Concord, CA, made his journey home to heaven on May 14, 2015. He was a powerful, wise, and witty presence to the very end of his 81 years.

Many knew Verl as a nonjudgmental, eloquent pastor to the seeker and a tender of souls. He could spin metaphors into gold and talk late into the evening about theology. When asked what he was reading he joked about being "deep in Deuteronomy." He served as pastor for many years at Bethany Lutheran Church in Menlo Park, CA and Bethel Lutheran Church in Cupertino, CA.

Verl's gifts and passions expanded beyond one career. He was also a hugger of trees and a voice for the forests. In 2000, he was made an Honorary Ranger for his work with the California State Parks as the Executive Director of Sempervirens Fund--particularly for his conservation of redwood lands in the Santa Cruz Mountains. In 1999, was honored with the California Bear Award for his commitment to preserving wilderness lands. He learned to climb mountains in the Tetons of Wyoming in his younger days, was a long time Sierra Club member, and loved backpacking in the Sierras.

Verl was a lifelong learner and avid teacher. He graduated from the Lutheran Seminary in Springfield, Illinois, held a Masters degree from the Lutheran School of Theology/Chicago School of Religion, and a Masters in Sociology from San Jose State. Before all that, he graduated at the top of his class in Civil Engineering at the University of Nebraska and worked as civil engineer in airport planning. He also found time along the way to teach Sociology classes at colleges throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern Oregon.

Born on January 12, 1934 in Columbus, Nebraska, Verl was the only child of Otto and Alma Clausen and was fortunate to have a large extended family of cousins. He is survived by his loving wife Ann Clausen, whom he married in 1986, and his two stepchildren, Andrew Deeth, Elizabeth Eastwood, and son-in-law Robert Teal. Verl's family and friends found him to be one of kindest, smartest, and most dignified people they had ever met. He also had a twinkle in his eye and made them laugh on regular basis.

A memorial service will be held at 11 A.M. on Tuesday, June 2, 2015, at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 399 Wiget Lane, Walnut Creek, CA 94598

Memorial contributions may be made to Lutheran World Relief (lwr.org) or The Parkinson's Institute, 675 Almanor, Sunnyvale, CA 98085 (thepi.org)

The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Hospice of the East Bay (especially Angela and Denice) for their help and support.