George William "Bill" Lundgren

George William (Bill) Lundgren was born in Hayward, California on December 4, 1950. His father was George William Lundgren and his mother was Minor Mae Cordry. He was the youngest of 4 children. He passed from this life into his resurrected life with Christ Jesus on November 28, 2025 at Carroll County Hospital, Westminster, Maryland. He was just a few days short of his 75th birthday.

During his lifetime, Bill accomplished many things. He was an avid Football lover and played for the Sonora High School Bruins where he won the Optimists Football Star Award for his many wins and earned a scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley. He played on the CAL football team as a Linebacker. He continued on as a CAL Bears and 49er Fan for the rest of his life. One of his special memories was getting to go to a CAL Bears game with his daughter, Sarah.

After studying Landscape Architecture, Forestry, and Physics at CAL and the University of Toronto, Canada, Bill graduated with a degree in Planning and became the Tuolumne County Planning Director. After meeting his wife, Dot Lundgren, he moved with her to Burbank in Southern California where he became a Burbank City Planner. His work was with the Hollywood Studios with whom he created a shuttle program for the studio workers who used the Amtrack system to get to work. He then went on to earn a Masters Degree in Urban Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1992 and then became a Transportation Planner for the City of Los Angeles. It was during this time that he began to feel a Calling to Prison Ministry.

Bill left the planning field and began to pursue this Calling from the Lord. He got baptized and he would be the first to tell you that he could feel the cross that was traced on his forehead for years to come. He had a deep love for the Lord and this grew as he participated in Cursillo and Kairos Weekends (a three-day Christian Education experience) as team member and leader. Bill began his Seminary training to become a pastor at the Pacific School of Theology in Berkeley, California. During his time there, he worked for the Center of Religion and Science where he enjoyed exploring the connection between his physics education and his religious education. In 2001, he moved to Maryland with his wife, Dot, and transferred his seminary training to the then Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. He received his Masters in Divinity Degree there and was ordained at Chapel Lutheran Church in Libertytown where he had worshiped with his wife.

As pastor, Bill served at Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran in Baltimore, The Community of St. Dysmas, Grace Rocky Hill, and St. John’s, Creagerstown. He retired in 2011 to move back to California to be with family. In his retirement, he worked in the paint departments of both Home Depot and Lowes until his dementia became too prevalent.

Bill loved music, playing his guitar, singing, and song writing, painting and working on redoing houses. He enjoyed singing in the choir at Immanuel Lutheran in Alameda, California, St. Peter’s, Hampstead, and most recently at St. Benjamin’s Lutheran, Westminster.

Most of all, Bill loved his family. He loved the children as his own. Enjoyed playing with the Grandchildren when he could. Bill loved to laugh, have fun and was the staple supporter in our background as a family. He will be greatly missed by us all.

Bill is survived by his wife of 40 years, Dot Lundgren. His children by heart: Brian Winnick (Denise); Everett Winnick (Kelly); Sarah Odom (Dylan); his grandchildren: Leanna Brucker (Jacob); BrieAnn Norwood (Marcus); Cassady Odom; Eva Odom; Cyrus Nunez; Everly Winnick; Leonidas Winnick; and Leyla; and his great-grandchildren: Matthias and Lyra Norwood. He is also survived by his brother, Gerald Lundgren and sister Linda, and many nieces and nephews.

The family wants to extend a special thank you to all who helped Bill during these last stages of dementia (you know who you are). You helped to make his life a little more meaningful.