Rev. Earl D. Philipp, son of E. Marvin and Leah (Schlegel) Philipp, was born on November 5, 1938, in Olney, Texas, and fell asleep in Jesus on April 29, 2025, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Funeral service will be Thursday, May 8, 2025 at 1:00 pm at St. Luke Lutheran Church of Olney, Texas, with Gary Rohwer Pastor of Lutheran Church of Our Savior in Oklahoma City, officiating. Burial will be at St. Luke Lutheran Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Lunn Funeral Home of Olney, Texas.

He married the former Joan P. Kleinlein of Evansville, Indiana, on July 27, 1963, in Concordia Lutheran Church of Kirkwood, Missouri. God blessed this union with one daughter, Adrianna R. Philipp, born on February 4, 1967, in Paragould, Arkansas, and unexpectedly but peacefully fell asleep in Jesus on July 18, 2017, in Yukon, Oklahoma.

Earl graduated from Concordia Senior College, Fort Wayne, Indiana, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree on June 4, 1961, and from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri, with a Master of Divinity degree on May 28, 1965. During his pastoral ministry, he was accepted into the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program of HCA Presbyterian Hospital, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and completed seven units of basic CPE on May 31, 1990.

He was ordained into the pastoral ministry of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) on July 4, 1965, in St. Luke Lutheran Church of Olney, Texas. he served parishes in Lafe, Arkansas, Lee's Summit, Missouri, El Reno, Oklahoma, and Hinton, Oklahoma. While pastor of his parish in Lee's Summit, Missouri, he served as Pastoral Counselor for the Kansas City So. Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML) and the Kansas City So. Lutheran Laymen's Missionary League (LLL)in the Missouri District, LCMS. While pastor in Oklahoma, he served as a Circuit Visitor for the Kingfisher Circuit in the Oklahoma District of the LCMS.

From June 1990 to May 1993, he served in the office of Administrative Assistant to the mayor of the City of Warr Acres. During this period, he developed and wrote, with the city's department heads, an "Employee Handbook of Personnel Policies" for the City of Warr Acres, adopted by the City Council in March 1992. In the fall of 1955, Earl's high school football team, the Olney Cubs, advanced to the Class 2A state football quarter-finals. In recognition of their success, the Olney Ministerial Alliance wanted to recognize a team player for "Outstanding Christian Sportsmanship" that 1955-1956 season. Earl was chosen to receive that award by a vote from his teammates. He has cherished that award all these years since the vote of his teammates gave the award.

An endearing and memorable event occurred in Earl's life when he and his daughter, Adriana, flew to Los Angeles, California, on December 26, 2006, and stayed until January 3, 2007, to watch the Rose Bowl Parade on January 1, 2007. During that time frame, they were part of a group called "petal pushers", a Lutheran contingent affiliated with the "Lutheran Hour" radio program and who decorated the "Lutheran Hour" float as well as other floats with flower petals. Incidentally, the "Lutheran Hour" float won "The Princess Award" on New Year's Day. While in Pasadena, they visited the J. Paul Getty Museum, attended other festive events, and even got in a round of golf at Strawberry Farms golf course before departing for home in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. A poignant time in Earl's life!!

Earl enjoyed playing golf for many years, essentially with the same golfing partners and was privileged by the grace of God to shoot two acres: one on June 30, 1986, and the second on August 17, 2006. However, his greatest joy was twofold: one, to witness fellow believers in Christ grow in their faith and relationship with God through the study of God's word, and second, to witness someone's life transformed by God's Spirit through their acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

During his lifetime, the family nurtured and cared for several cats and dogs as pets. Two of them merit special mention as special creatures of God: a chihuahua named "Chino" and a mixed breed named "Baxter."

Earl was preceded in death by his parents,   E. Marvin and Leah Philipp, his wife Joan P. Philipp, and his daughter Adriana R. Philipp. He is survived by two brothers: Harold Philipp of San Angelo, Texas, and George and wife Paula Philipp of Olney, Texas; and one sister, Mary Ramsey, and husband Mike of Duncan, Oklahoma. Other survivors include his seven nephews and their families.

Special gifts of God as friends: John Wrobbel & Marcia Barber of Lee's Summit, Missouri; Roland and Jeannie West of Odessa, Missouri; Alane Jordan of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Vic Braunschweig and Doug & Eileen Honeman of Mustang, Oklahoma.

Memorial gifts may be designated for the Lutheran Church of Our Savior, 6501 N.W. 23rd Street, Bathany, Oklahoma 73008; or the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), P.O. Box 90555, Washington, D.C. 20090-05; or the Judicial Watch, P.O. Box 96234, Washington, D.C. 20077-7480.