Loren Geible Speicher

Loren Geible Speicher, 92, passed away on 24 September 2018 at Next Door Home Care group home in El Mirage, AZ, after a brief illness. He was born on June 1, 1926 in North Manchester, Wabash County, IN to Lorenzo D. and Alma (Geible) Speicher.Loren was born in North Manchester, IN. He graduated from Chester Township High School in North Manchester, IN in 1944.On June 2, 1944, Loren joined the Navy, serving in World War II chiefly in the Pacific Theater as a radar operator with the Amphibious Forces.Upon his return from service, Loren attended Manchester College, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1949. He went on to teach in Tulare, CA where he met and married Ellen Weiss in 1949. They were married 64 years.From 1953 to 1955, Loren taught school in Salisbury, MO; Huntington Township, IN; South Miami and Homestead FL. In 1955 Loren began studies at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, OH, where he earned a Masters of Divinity in 1959. From 1959 to 1963, he returned to serving his country as an Army Chaplain at Fort Dix, NJ and in Germany. He returned to the role of Army Chaplain from 1966 to 1972 at Fort Totten, NY, as well as in Vietnam, Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL and Korea. He continued his military service until 1980, serving in the Army Reserve and Alabama National Guard. He achieved the rank of Major, US Army, Retired. From 1972 to 1987, Loren served as a mental health therapist at the Army Hospital at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL. His military background and comprehension of the toll of combat on individual service-men and -women helped him to become a highly skilled counselor for soldiers returning from wartime conflicts, developing recognition of the signs and symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder even before this condition was identified.As a civilian minister, Loren served as a pastor in Baltimore and Dundalk, MD 1964-1967 and in 1987-1988 in Harahan, LA. In 1990 Loren and Ellen retired to Sun City West, AZ.Loren was fiercely proud of being a veteran of three theaters of war. His military career allowed him to travel the globe, including Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Australia, Germany, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, France and numerous American states. He received awards for his service, both through the U.S. Military and the Republic of Vietnam, including: Army Commendation Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal; American Campaign Medal; Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one Bronze Service Star; World War II Victory Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; Vietnam Service Medal with four Bronze Service Stars; Armed Forces Reserve Medal; Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal; and Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation.Throughout his life, Loren was a believer in a well-examined life, lived with integrity, honesty, and thoughtfully facing reality and hard truths. He believed in civil rights and equality for all people and always strived to provide guidance and assistance to those in need. He was an outspoken proponent of the right to die with dignity at the time of one's own choosing. Loren was a prolific reader and writer, capturing his evolving thoughts about religion, politics, society, relationships and the environment in his many letters and memoirs. Loren was a member of the United Church of Christ in Huntsville, Alabama from 1980 to 1987. He was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Surprise, AZ from 1999 until his death. He was a member of the Hemlock Society and subsequently the Final Exit Network from the 1990's until his death. Loren was preceded in death by his wife, Ellen (Weiss) Speicher, who passed away in 2013. Loren is survived by his children: Mitchell (Denise) Speicher of Rochester, NY; Gwen Speicher of Ashland, OR; Christopher (Stacey) Speicher of Suwanee, GA; Jonathan (Reba) Speicher, of Mount Olive, AL; Andrea Streissguth of Seattle, WA; and Melanie Speicher of Eugene, OR; his grandchildren: Christopher Faudree of Portland, OR; Justin Faudree of Portland, OR; Leanna Faudree of Chicago, IL; Allison Speicher of Syracuse, NY; Lindsay (Brandon) Bentley of Syracuse, NY; Andrew Speicher of Atlanta, GA; and Cameron Speicher of Atlanta, GA. A memorial service will be held November 19, 2018 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Surprise, AZ at 11:00 A.M. After a reception, Loren's ashes will be commingled with those of his wife Ellen, and together they will be scattered in Arizona in a private ceremony by his children and grandchildren.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his honor to the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Final Exit Network, or the LGBTQ organization of the donor's choice."Life can be evaluated. A life of quality is a life of consciousness, as free as possible from suffering and pain, and one in which human dignity is preserved....The right to die with dignity is, in essence, a right not to live in indignity." -Raphael Cohen-Almagor The Right to Die with Dignity