Mr. Louis G. Waldorf

Lou Waldorf As a youth, Lou grew up in a church-going home, although as a child he did not come to know the Lord Jesus Christ in a personal way. His interest in electronics became evident at age 14, when he got a HAM radio operator license. Lou enjoyed talking to people all over the world. It was no surprise when Lou chose Electrical Engineering as his major and earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from University Of Arizona. In 1964, Lou was living in Phoenix, AZ., marketing cable TV service for Ameco Inc. A pretty young woman named Katina also worked there as a data-entry keypunch operator. In 1965—almost one year after they met—Lou married Katina, about whom Lou had confided to his mother, “I don't think I can live without her.” In 1969 the couple moved to Oregon. Lou suffered with an incurable disease known as Friedreich's Ataxia, which causes damage to the central nervous system and results in impaired muscle coordination and unsteady movement. Lou had to lean on Katina to perform simple tasks such as brushing his teeth. In Portland Lou and Katina met a woman named Judy who had attended a healing service led by Kathryn Kuhlman. Ms. Kuhlman held healing services one Sunday per month at the Shriners' auditorium in Los Angeles. Judy had been healed at one of the services and began chartering flights to Los Angeles. She witnessed to Lou and Katina and encouraged them to come to a service. Lou and Katina paid the $100 each for round-trip tickets. God touched Lou and removed the pain associated with degenerated nerves in his spinal cord. Later Lou went to a doctor for X-rays, and the doctor asked him, “Are you in pain?” Lou said, “No.” The doctor said, “You should be.” During the same period, a Greek friend told Katina, “God can work miracles.” The friend invited Lou and Katina to church and encouraged them to read their Bibles, which they both did in spite of not understanding much of what they read. The friend also told Lou and Katina, “God wants you to follow Him.” In February, 1971, Lou and Katina committed their lives to the Lord and were born again. And as they read the Bible, it started making sense to them. In Portland, Lou found work as a technical writer at Tektronix, a pioneer in the high-tech industry. He also continued with his HAM radio hobby through the late 1970s and '80s. Once, he even had a conversation with King Hussein of Jordan. By HAM radio, Lou connected with Christian believers in Russia. They asked him to send Bible verses. So Lou mailed tracts and brochures containing Scripture to the persecuted believers in Russia. Through their church in Portland, Lou and Katina led small-group meetings in their home, where Lou would teach Bible lessons to the assembled group. Lou encouraged Katina to attend Portland Bible College, where she finished a three-year course in 1977. In 1979, Lou volunteered to support a young pastor pioneering a church in Forest Grove, a suburb of Portland. He and Katina—together with a few other couples—formed the basis of the new congregation and were a support group for the young pastor, encouraging and strengthening the pioneer work. On Saturday mornings, Lou often met with the younger men of the church and guided conversation with a seasoned, steady, calm spirit. Lou provided an example of maturity and spoke words of wisdom gleaned through his years of experience living for the Lord. His counsel and advice was respected because it was backed by a solid, unwavering faith. He looked forward to the “blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13) And he encouraged the younger men to imitate his faith. Following retirement from Tektronix in 1993, Lou took Katina and moved to Florida. He saw evidence of the Lord's hand in the move as: • the house in Oregon was bought by friends, and • the house in Florida was next door to an old friend from Oregon. Earlier in his life, Lou chose a Bible verse, which he wanted to define his life at the end. It is 2 Timothy 4:7, which reads: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Arrangements are entrusted to DeGusipe Funeral Home & Crematory, 9001 N. Orlando Avenue, Maitland, Florida 32751. (407) 695-CARE(2273).

Mr. Louis G. Waldorf

January 30, 1934 - January 25, 2014