The Reverend Dr. Theodore W. Kalsbeek (Ted) passed away peacefully on Friday, August 11 at Bethesda North Hospital at the age of 97. Ted's passing was preceded by that of Lewise, his loving wife of 64 years, in 2015. Ted was father and father-in-law of Theresa and Wayne Bradley, David and Mary Kalsbeek, James Kalsbeek, Marie and Gerry Ferguson; grandfather of Bret (Tosh) Olson, Kara (John) Kimicata, Sarah (Matt) Buer, Robin (Alison) Kalsbeek, Davis Kalsbeek, Bryan Ferguson, and Joe Ferguson; great grandfather of Graham Buer and Lucian Olson.

Ted Kalsbeek was born in Rochester NY in 1925, the son of Dutch immigrants from the Friesland region of Holland who arrived at Ellis Island in 1907. Moving at a young age to a small farm in Liberty, Indiana, Ted grew up with a strong work ethic and a love for working outdoors which continued through his life with a passion for yard work, gardening and chopping wood. From his childhood farm, he commuted to nearby Earlham College, where he met Lewise Wickersham, who hailed from a dairy farming family in eastern Pennsylvania. With a calling to a life in Christian ministry, after graduating from Earlham, Ted attended seminary in Pittsburgh while Lewise worked as a dietician at a nearby trade school cafeteria. They were married in 1951 and moved to Ohio when Ted was called to be pastor of a small country church twenty miles outside of Cincinnati.

At the time, Sycamore Presbyterian Church was a small one-room sanctuary with 75 members. Over the subsequent forty-three years, under Ted's leadership, Sycamore's membership grew to more than 1,200 and four capital campaigns funded major building expansions that created classrooms, offices, a library, a kitchen and fellowship hall, a new sanctuary in 1983 and a new educational wing in 1992. Ted also had the vision to purchase and transform a neighboring old tavern into a Christian Education Center and spearheaded the building of a new manse next door to the church. The original sanctuary in which he preached for so many years was designated as the Kalsbeek Chapel upon his retirement in 1994. After retiring from Sycamore, Ted was called to be interim pastor of the struggling historic Covenant First Presbyterian Church in downtown Cincinnati – and over six years successfully revived that church with expanded membership.

Over the course of his ministry, Ted prepared and preached over 3,000 sermons, officiated over 1,553 baptisms, 497 weddings, and 584 funerals. As pastor, Ted dutifully and diligently served as counselor, mediator, teacher, fund-raiser, auctioneer, executive manager, and countless other roles required of a pastor of a growing church community. Ted also earned a Doctor of Divinity Degree from Union Theological Seminary. In addition, he gave hundreds of invocations at civic events and ceremonies, including a meeting of the Ohio State Senate.

A true patriot and civic leader, Ted was active in Symmes Township governance and its Historical Society. His work with the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge became a passion of his in retirement. He was the founding president of the Northeast Cincinnati chapter of Rotary International, and he was active in Rotary even through his retirement. He personally authored and published a Rotarian's Book of Prayers that is now used by Rotary chapters across the country.

The legacy of Ted and Lewise lives on through their four children and their spouses, seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. But it also lives on through the lives of the thousands in the churches and communities blessed by their dutiful and diligent servant-leadership. May they both now rest in peace.

Friends are invited to attend a memorial service celebrating Ted's life, to be held at Sycamore United Presbyterian Church, 11800 Mason Montgomery Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45249 on Saturday August 26,2023 at 11:00. Friends will be received in the Church Narthex at 10:00 until the hour of the service. Inurnment will take place in the Columbarium Garden at the Sycamore Church. The family requests that memorial contributions in memory of Ted be directed to the Rotary Club of Northeast Cincinnati, P.O. Box 428844, Cincinnati, OH 45242 or to the Kalsbeek Scholarship, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Advancement Office, 616 North Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206. Checks are payable to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and should have Kalsbeek Scholarship in memo line.

Funeral Home: Tufts Schildmeyer Family Funeral Home & Cremation Center - Loveland 129 Riverside Drive Loveland, OH US 45140