Merle Louis Radke was a teacher, a leader and a writer who was devoted to his Lord, his church and his family. In addition to teaching and learning, he loved sports and music. And he loved to laugh and to make other people laugh.

Merle was born Feb. 25, 1922, at Aurelia, Iowa, to Fred and Marie Winterhof Radke. He died March 8, 2017. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Johns Lutheran Church, Hanover, Iowa. He attended Concordia Lutheran High School, Seward, Nebraska, and then Concordia College, where he met his future wife, Ruth Huebner Radke. They were married Aug. 3, 1944.

He taught in and was principal at Lutheran elementary schools in St. Johns, Michigan, Detroit, Michigan, and Twin Falls, Idaho, before joining the English faculty at Concordia College, River Forest, Illinois, in 1957. He earned the M.A. in English from Wayne State University, Detroit, in 1953 and the Ph.D. in English from Northwestern University in 1965. At Concordia, he taught classes in literature, poetry and composition.

He served as editor of “Lutheran Education” magazine from 1965-1986 and as associate editor of “The Journal of Geography” from 1965-1970. He was chairman of Concordia’s Department of English from 1969-1987 and served several terms as chairman of the college’s faculty senate. He received the honorary doctor of letters from Concordia, Seward, in 1975 and was named Distinguished Professor of English by Concordia, River Forest in 1985.

Merle and Ruth had a loving relationship that was a shining example for their family and friends, and their daughters were blessed to be raised in a loving home. In addition to his family, Merle enjoyed travel and led a number of study groups to Europe during his years at Concordia. Throughout his life, he loved staying in touch with long-time friends and making new friends. He loved to read, to play golf, to watch sports and to hear and tell jokes – both good ones and not-so-good ones.

His family includes: two daughters, Charlyne Radke Berens and her husband, Dennis, and

Jeaninne Radke Meyer and her husband, Alan; grandchildren Rebecca Berens Matzke and her husband, Bill; Rachel Berens-VanHeest and her husband, Michael; Jeffrey Craig-Meyer and his wife, Justine; Aaron Meyer and his wife, Alissa; nine great-grandchildren; brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth, in 2011.

Memorials may be sent to the Merle and Ruth Radke Fund at Concordia University Chicago in River Forest, Illinois (www.cuchicago.edu) or to the Merle and Ruth Radke Fund at Concordia University Nebraska in Seward, Nebraska (www.cune.edu).

A memorial service is planned for Saturday, April 8, at 2 p.m. at the chapel on the campus of Concordia University in River Forest.