Verlyn R. Mittelstadt

April 13, 1936 – December 6, 2024

Vern Mittelstadt, age 88, moved from earth to heaven in the early morning of December 6, 2024, at Garden Spot Village, New Holland, PA.

Vern was born on April 13, 1936, and raised in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, the son of Reno and Grace Mittelstadt. He was a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ from his earliest days.

He served on various church boards, including the Church of the Saviour in Wayne, PA, which he helped found and served as its first treasurer. His deep commitment to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ was evidenced by his various evangelistic activities, as well as missionary endeavors in the US, Europe, Africa and Asia.

His academic achievements included the Bausch Lomb science award and High School valedictorian. In college he was a member of Eta Kappa Nu and Tau Beta Pi engineering honor societies, graduating first in his electrical engineering class at the University of Minnesota in 1958. He was an accomplished violinist, playing in the University of Minnesota Symphony Orchestra. He went on to receive his MSEE degree in 1959, and a Ph.D. in Plasma Physics in 1963.

Upon leaving school, he began a career in aerospace systems engineering, working first at North American Aviation in Anaheim, CA, on anti-submarine warfare systems, and then on advanced avionic systems, with primary emphasis on radar. He continued radar involvement at the Mitre Corporation in Bedford, MA. The last 30 years of his career were spent in classified space systems programs at what became the Management and Data Systems Organization of Lockheed Martin. In this role he was selected as one of the charter members of the prestigious M&DS Fellows Program.

In 1959 he married his high school sweetheart, Georgia Bell Bowers, who bore him two sons, Craig and Scott, who preceded Vern in death. After Georgia passed away in 2001, in 2002 Vern married the love of his later years, Sally Diffenderfer Norton, who had served 23 years in the Philippines. In 2005, Vern and Sally moved to Garden Spot Village in New Holland, PA where they enjoyed twenty years of active living, travel, Christian service, and membership at Calvary Church, Lancaster, PA. Vern is survived by his wife, Sally; his son, Craig (Kimberly); and grandchildren Natalia, Mason (Becky), Ryan, and Kyle Mittelstadt.

Vern’s primary interests were theology, history, travel. These three were linked together for Vern, with ancient history anchored in the Bible. He made 23 overseas trips delving into all three, working to understand other cultures. In these trips he visited 56 different castles, palaces, and archeological sites. His favorite destination of all was Zermatt, Switzerland.

A Memorial Service will be held at the Garden Spot Village Chapel, 433 S Kinzer Ave, New Holland PA, on Sunday, December 15, 2024, at 2 pm. It will be live streamed starting at 1:45 pm at www.gardenspotvillage.org/live Interment will be in Oak Grove Cemetery in Fergus Falls, Minnesota at a future date. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made in Vern’s name to the Garden Spot Village Benevolent Fund, Garden Spot Village, 433 S Kinzer Ave, New Holland, PA 17557.