Pastor Brian W. Gentz

July 19, 1947 - April 1, 2021

Pastor Brian William Gentz, age 73, of Washington, Iowa, died Thursday, April 1, 2021, at his residence in Washington following complications of Parkinson’s Disease. Private family services will be held 1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 4, 2021, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church with Pastor Roger Dykstra and Bishop Amy Current officiating. Services will be live streamed on the Gloria Dei Facebook page. There will be a public memorial service held in July of 2021. The family will be present to receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. Monday, April 5, 2021, at the Jones & Eden Funeral Home in Washington. Mask usage and social distancing guidelines will be observed. Interment will take place at a later date at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Memorials have been established for Parkinson’s Foundation, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Iowa City or Immanuel Lutheran Church in Washington. Online condolences can be sent for Brian’s family through the web at www.jonesfh.com. Brian was born July 19, 1947, in Los Angeles, California, the son of William H. and Sylvia (Hagen) Gentz. Brian attended school in Lake Oswego, Oregon, and graduated from Robbinsdale High School in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. He received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University in Manhattan, New York and attended Union Seminary in Manhattan. Brian attended the University of Iowa where he pursued his Doctorate of Divinity. He was united in marriage to Julieanne Morton on June 11, 1994. He was previously married to Pamela Halverson. Pastor Gentz served parishes in Montana, South Dakota, and at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Washington, Iowa. He was Interim Pastor at many churches in Iowa. In 2008, Brian accepted the call to serve as Chaplain of the Good Samaritan Home in Ottumwa where he retired in the fall of 2015. He was a member of the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Iowa City, Iowa. He was a member of the Washington Ministerial Association and enjoyed having coffee with other Pastors at the Stone Mill in Washington. The coffee group became known as “Pastors for Sale” as they would sit in the front window to enjoy coffee and conversation. He was a member of Rotary International both in Washington and Ottumwa, and was a member of Main Street Washington. During high school, Brian was active in theater which remained a passion of his in adulthood. He was in several theater productions in Washington and Ottumwa. He loved to sing and play the piano. He volunteered at Lending Hands for many years and enjoyed singing at church. He was a member of the Washington Choral Society and the Ottumwa Choral Society. Brian is survived by his wife, Julie Gentz of Washington, Iowa; five children: Adam (Cindi) Gentz of Seattle, Washington; Jun (Dan) Cullinan of Ames, Iowa; Holli (Nathan) Klein of Vienna, Austria; Hans (Alicia) Hoerschelman of Iowa City, Iowa; Hillari (Shaun) Bishop of Chicago, Illinois; five grandchildren; and four sisters: Gracia (Craig) Sandager of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Emily (Eddie) Woloszyn of Chipita Park, Colorado; Buck Flynn of Chipita Park, Colorado; Linnea Hughes of Cascade, Colorado; as well as several nieces and nephews. Brian was preceded in death by his parents.