Paul Raymond Kilde, Lutheran pastor and Air Force chaplain, was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on September 30, 1922. He was the youngest child of John Melian Kilde and Ragna Marie Swenson. He spent his childhood in Eau Claire and attended local schools and First Lutheran Church.\r\nAfter high school he began classes at Augsburg College in Minneapolis but was drafted by the Army to serve in World War II. He requested to be trained as a medic, and in this role he worked in a Chicago hospital for wounded soldiers returning from the front. It was in Chicago that he met his future wife, Marcella Marlene LeMaire, at Augustana Lutheran Church, where they both sang in the choir. They were married September 15, 1945. After the war, Paul returned to Augsburg College and graduated in June 1948 with a degree in history. He went on to study at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and, after an internship in Ames, Iowa, was ordained into the Lutheran church. (His two older brothers, Clarence and John, were also ministers.) \r\nHe had a calling to become a military chaplain and spent 27 years in the Air Force, serving in numerous locations: Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, New York, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and also the Philippines, Greenland, Spain, and England. The family meanwhile grew to include four children, three daughters and a son. A music and art lover all his life, Paul appreciated the opportunities that travel offered. He and his family visited museums and cathedrals and attended concerts in many countries. He was particularly fond of the choir and the Evensong services at Ely Cathedral during his time in England. \r\nHe finished his professional career in the Air Force as a Lt. Colonel in 1979 and retired with Marcella to his hometown of Eau Claire. He kept busy by preaching and helping out in various parishes such as Trinity Lutheran Church and First Lutheran of Eau Claire, and Drammen Lutheran Church, Pleasant Valley. It was particularly important for him to visit the sick and the old, and to comfort those who were not able to get to church. With his wife he also spent many years delivering Meals on Wheels. He spent his last few years living at Fall Creek Valley Care Center, where he greatly appreciated the care and attention he received from the staff. Paul is survived by daughters, Barbara (Guy) Carlier of Brittany France, Elizabeth (Steve Janega) of Minneapolis, Janice Kilde of Eau Claire, and son, Paul R. (Jeanne) Kilde Jr.; grandchildren, Mark and Laura Carlier, Cherolyn Fischer, and Bethany Ida; three great grandchildren, Namshaya, Liam, and Glenn; and several nieces and nephews. \r\nHe was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Marcella, June 19, 2007; his parents; four brothers and one sister.\r\nMemorial Services will be at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at First Lutheran Church, Eau Claire. Visitation will precede the service at 1:00 p.m. Burial will be in Lutheran Church Cemetery, Eau Claire. Family requests memorials be directed to Global Health Ministries, 7831 Hickory St N.E. Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55432-2500.

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