September 2026
Ralph Kirchenberg, a lifelong Chicago area resident and former biology professor, passed away peacefully in his home on
September 8, 2026, at age 92.
Ralph was born on January 15, 1934, in Chicago, Illinois, to Walter and Lillian (nee Peters) Kirchenberg. He was raised in a loving Christian home that shaped the values and faith he carried throughout his life. Ralph attended Bethel Lutheran School and later graduated from Luther Institute in Chicago in 1951.
He attended Concordia Teachers College (now Concordia University, Chicago) from 1951 – 1955 and taught sciences and coached sports at Walther Lutheran High School from 1955 – 1961. After pursuing advanced degrees at University of Washington in Seattle and DePaul University in Chicago, he returned to teach in Concordia’s Biology Department for 40 years, many of which he served as Chairman of the Department.
Ralph married Christine Kirchenberg (nee Bormann) in 1969, and they shared 56 wonderful years of marriage. He is survived by his wife and their two children: Lynn Kirchenberg Chate (John), and Eric Kirchenberg.
In his youth, Ralph was an avid basketball and baseball player (and even had an offer to play in the Minor Leagues). He remained a Chicago sports fan from the Bears to the Cubs, and enjoyed travel and adventure. His professional love, Marine Biology, took him on many adventures in the form of research trips, from the Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, to the Beaufort Laboratory in North Carolina, to Friday Harbor Laboratories in Washington, and all the way to the Antarctic for the National Science Foundation. He also loved photography, reading and playing catch with his kids and nephews when he was younger.
He was a longtime member of Bethel Lutheran Church in Chicago, and served in various ways including Choir Director, Financial Chairman, and Congregational Chairman.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Concordia University Chicago, St. John’s Lutheran Church, LaGrange, or New Life Ministries (formerly Bethel Lutheran Church), serving the Humboldt Park Neighborhood of Chicago.
Visitation for Ralph will be held on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the Ferguson Gallery (music building) of Concordia University, 7400 Augusta Street, River Forest, Illinois 60305. The funeral service will follow immediately in the Chapel, and a reception will be held after the service in the area adjacent to the Choral Room. Interment will be Monday morning at 10 a.m. at Concordia Cemetery, 7900 Madison Street, Forest Park, Illinois 60130.