Obituary of James Allen Rimbach

The Rev. Dr. James Allen Rimbach, age 69, died suddenly on July 3, 2009, in Longview, WA. while on a brief vacation at the coast. He was born August 29, 1939 in Portland, Oregon. He was preceded in death by his wife Phyllis, his parents the Rev. and Mrs. R. W. Rimbach, and his brother John Edward Rimbach. Dr. Rimbach is survived by his two sisters Caroline Marie Rimbach and Dr. Evangeline Lois Rimbach of Tacoma, his niece Heidi Seitz of Westerville, Ohio, and his nephew Christian Rimbach of Marion, Ohio. Dr. Rimbach was a graduate of California Concordia College, Oakland, CA. He received his bachelor's degree from Concordia Senior College, Fort Wayne, IN, his master's in sacred theology degree from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO, and his doctor of philosophy degree from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD. He served as assistant pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Baltimore, MD and as parish pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church, Pullman, WA and Redeemer Lutheran Church, Waukegan, IL. For a total of 16 years, during two tours of service, he was a professor at two seminaries in Hong Kong: Concordia Theological Seminary, Yau Yat Chuen, Hong Kong and Lutheran Theological Seminary, Shatin, Hong Kong. Since Dr. Rimbach left for his second tour of service in Hong Kong in 1997, he remained a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Tacoma. He retired from the seminaries in 2006 and moved at that time to Tumwater, WA. A memorial service for Dr. Rimbach will take place at Grace Lutheran Church, 6202 S. Tyler St., Tacoma, on Saturday, August 15, at 11:00 a.m.