Leon Dean Pannkuk

Leon Dean Pannkuk

September 10, 1950-January 19, 2021

Born in Buffalo Center, IA, Leon grew up on a farm near Titonka, IA, with his parents and sisters. After graduating from Iowa State, he moved to Des Moines, IA, where he met his future wife Marlene during a Sunday morning church service at Bethany Reformed Church on November 11, 1979. They were engaged nine days later, and married three months later on February 16, 1980. They welcomed Rebekah into the world in May of 1981, and Matthew in February of 1984.

Leon received a call to ministry and the family moved to St. Louis, MO, in the summer of 1985 to attend Covenant Theological Seminary, where he graduated in 1989 with his Master of Divinity. After a brief stint back in Iowa for six weeks, Leon and family moved into their current house and he became the chaplain at Friendship Village of South County. In December of 1994, Jonathan completed the family that Leon loved so very much.

While at a men’s breakfast at Twin Oaks church, the speaker asked the crowd if they were doing all they possibly could to fulfill the Great Commission. This gripped Leon’s heart, and in 2004 he left the chaplaincy to become a full-time evangelist, eventually starting Leon Pannkuk & Friends Ministries. In 2014 he started ministering part-time at Swiss Evangelical Reformed Church in Swiss, MO, where he was installed as pastor on October 4, 2015.

Leon had a deep, unwavering passion for the gospel of his Lord Jesus Christ. He delighted to share the good news of salvation and reconciliation to any and everyone. He went on several crusades and missions trips across four continents, including the nations of Mexico, India, Ukraine, Russia, and several countries in Africa. He also evangelized locally, from prison inmates to clerks in the checkout line and all sorts of people in between.

If you do not personally know the joy of Jesus that Leon is currently experiencing fully now in heaven, he is encouraging you to pick up the Bible today and discover what it has to say about God.

Leon enjoyed learning copious amounts of “useless trivia knowledge” as he would call it, following aging sports stars racking up career statistics, getting heated about politics, and perfecting the art of sarcasm. Of particular interest to him was learning more about the beautiful intricacies of the universe that God so brilliantly created, such as the uniqueness of water, the vastness of the universe, and Christ’s handiwork displayed through the multitude of colors in nature.

Imagine the bright smile on Leon’s face right now as he is exploring firsthand all the depths of God’s greatness and goodness!

Leon is survived by his wonderful wife Marlene Kay (Van Aalsburg) Pannkuk, daughter Rebekah Lee (Pannkuk) Tice, her husband Jeff Tice, grandsons Garrett Dayton Tice and Carson Dean Tice, son Matthew Evan Pannkuk, son Jonathan Dean Pannkuk, his wife Emma Moriarity (Caines) Pannkuk, and grandpup Federer Wes Pannkuk. He is also survived by his sister Sherry Hedwall, as well as many in-laws, nieces, nephews, and numerous friends and brothers and sisters in Christ. He was preceded in death by his parents, his parents-in-law, his older sister, two nephews, and a child lost during pregnancy.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be given to Leon Pannkuk & Friends.

You can donate online at <https://www.facebook.com/LeonPannkukMinistries>

Donation Address:

2850 West Clay, Suite 225

St. Charles, MO 63301

All donations are tax deductible

FED ID # 47-1891734

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.” Matthew 28:19