Allen Patrick Kolkman

Allen Patrick Kolkman, 73, of Oceanside, California, passed away into his Savior’s waiting arms, while holding the hands of his beloved wife and daughter on November 30, 2024, ending his battle with cancer.

Allen was born on March 17, 1951, to Kenneth and Osa Kolkman in Oxnard, CA. He grew up in Ventura with his parents and older brother, Adrian. When he was “a little shaver”, as his father called him, he enjoyed competitive roller skating, playing marbles, and racing his bike down the big hill near his house. Allen became a Christian during high school and after he graduated, he went on to study Religion and U.S. History at California Lutheran University. While attending college, Allen felt called to pastoral ministry, and after graduation, he attended Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, Illinois to become a Lutheran pastor.

During his time training to be a pastor, he met a beautiful young woman at a church potluck that would become the love of his life, Deborah. After a whirlwind romance, they were married 10 months later. Their dream of a family came true with the births of their two girls, Kristine and Amanda. After becoming a pastor, Allen and Deborah moved back to California where he served as a pastor at Our Savior’s First Lutheran Church in Granada Hills before moving to Oceanside where he would live for the rest of his life. He became pastor of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in 1980 and served there until his retirement in 2021. In that time, he watched his girls grow up and had the privilege of baptizing them, confirming them and performing their marriages. He adored his girls, and attended every dance performance, karate practice and school play, and gave them love and support always. He also would baptize all four of his precious grandchildren, who could always count on their papa for a silly smile, special treats after pickup from school, and good cuddles. Allen lived a life of devotion to God, love to his family and service to his community.

Allen is survived by his wife of 48 years, Deborah Kolkman, his brother Adrian Kolkman and his wife Starla, his daughter Kristine Champion with her husband Nicolas and his daughter Amanda Cerny with her husband Joshua. He is also survived by his four grandchildren, Jacqueline and Lauren Champion and William and Daniel Cerny, as well as his beloved nieces and nephew and their families.

Services will be held at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, the church Allen served for so many years and/or Concordia Theological Seminary scholarship fund that helped him fulfill his dream of becoming a pastor.