Irl A. Gladfelter Jr.

Irl Allen Gladfelter Jr., 71, passed away June 7, 2016, in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

A resident of Missouri for more than 40 years, he grew up in Warrensburg where he attended Central Missouri State College, and earned his dental degree from UMKC. He spent two years as an Alaska bush dentist with the U.S. Public Health Service, followed by a number of years in private practice in Chicago and Kansas City. During this time, he became interested in forensic dentistry and wrote and practiced in that specialty. He later published a book with the help of his then wife, Barbara Gladfelter. In 1979, he married Kim Nguyen, and entered military service where he graduated from the U.S. Army Command College in Leavenworth, Kansas. He served his country for 20 years in various locations, finally obtaining the rank of Lt. Colonel before he honorably retired in Fort Leavenworth, Missouri. He spent a brief period after that as a professor at UMKC Dental School before he turned his attention to his Christian faith. He founded the Anglo-Lutheran Catholic Church, which he directed until his resignation in 2011, when he reconciled with the Roman Catholic Church and entered the order of the Brown Scapula. He also held a commission as a Kentucky Colonel.

Irl Gladfelter is survived by his fourth wife, Carol Rapier; second wife, Kim Son Gladfelter; and first wife, Barbara Gladfelter. His third wife, Linda Merrill, predeceased him. Surviving him are his sons,Irl Allen III and Mathew Ord Gladfelter; daughter, Tara Elizabeth Bastian and husband, Raymond Kenneth Bastian Jr.; as well as two grandchildren, Skyler Kenneth and Justine Dawn Bastian. He is also survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Gregory and Diana Gladfelter of Warrensburg, and their two children, Jason and Jared Gladfelter, and their wives and children. He is remembered by his many stepchildren, Giao and Andy Kaplan, John and Wei Nguyen, Diep and Mike Koly, Quong Nguyen, Colleen Cherry Dean, Christopher Rapier, Joseph Rapier, Dawn-Marie Hirsch, Logan Merrill, and many stepgrandchildren.  He was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Irl Allen Gladfelter Sr. and Ethel Maxine Gladfelter of Warrensburg, as well as by his brother Philip Gladfelter.

Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery.

(Paid Obituary)