The Rev. Arthur R. Doring entered his heavenly home on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, at Morristown Medical Center. He was 88.
He was born on Aug. 21, 1932, in Brooklyn, N.Y., the son of German immigrants, Arthur and Marie (Bargmann) Doring. He and his beloved wife of 62 years, Lois R. (Prokopy) Doring, have two children, Lisa and David. Lisa is married to Jon Baermann and they have four children, Sarah, Anna, Micah, and Kaethe. David is married to Suelyn (Trimmer), and they have two children, Griffin and Jackson.
Pastor Doring graduated from Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan in 1950, Concordia College, Bronxville, N.Y., in 1953, and Concordia Theological Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., in 1958. He was ordained into the holy ministry in 1958 at his home congregation, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Brooklyn.
Upon graduation from the seminary, he received a “call” from the Atlantic District of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS) to start a congregation in the Stanhope/Hopatcong area of New Jersey. Under his guidance, The Lutheran Church of Our Savior was established, and he served the congregation for 54 years although he received many calls to serve elsewhere. Through the years, Pastor Doring was a member of boards and committees, and he held leadership positions in the New Jersey District of the LCMS. He led chapel services at local nursing homes and was a guest speaker at various events and summer camps. He ministered to countless children and families in the church’s preschool, Our Savior Nursery School, alongside his wife, Lois, who started the school in 1971 and served as its director for 31 years.
After retiring in 2012, Pastor Doring remained active preaching at Lutheran churches in New Jersey, most frequently at The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Blairstown. He and Lois maintained a lifelong partnership of service to others and enjoyed ministering to shut-ins and other members of the community.
Pastor Doring was well-known in and out of the church setting due to his ability to easily relate and communicate with others. He enjoyed striking up conversations wherever he went. He had a wonderful sense of humor and he loved to laugh, even at his own expense. Throughout his life, “Art” was known as a fierce competitor in organized and recreational activities, most notably basketball. He loved the sport and played for Concordia College and Concordia Seminary and, later, in men’s leagues and pick-up games at various locations until he was 80. He loved family gatherings and one of his favorites was the annual family vacation in Maine. He was a loving husband, caring and selfless father and grandfather, and encourager to all those around him.
A Celebration of Life Service will be planned for the summer at The Lutheran Church of Our Savior, Stanhope, N.J.
The family suggests memorial gifts be made to one of the following: The Lutheran Church of Our Savior, Stanhope, N.J.; The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Blairstown, N.J.; Concordia College New York (Bronxville), N.Y.; Tuscarora Inn and Conference Center, Mt. Bethel, Pa.; or a ministry of your choice.