With joy and thanksgiving, we celebrate the life of retired Gustavus Adolphus College chaplain Richard Q. Elvee who was gathered into the fullness of life in God’s eternal kingdom on May 15, 2026.
Richard Quenten Elvee was born in Holland, Michigan, June 13, 1934, to Dr. Richard A. Elvee and Nelle Louise VandenBerg. He graduated from high school in Buffalo, New York, received his B.A. from Bob Jones University in 1955, and his ordination into the ministry of the Lutheran Church in 1960 from Northwestern Seminary (Luther) in St. Paul. After ordination he served the parishes of Crosslake and Swanberg until Dr. Edgar Carlson hired him to be the first full-time Chaplain of Christ Chapel in the fall of 1962.
Elvee served as chaplain at Gustavus from 1962 until 2000. Elvee was not only the college’s first full-time chaplain, he was also the first chaplain of Christ Chapel. He was well known for the inter-disciplinary dimensions he brought to his sermons.
Elvee did more than serve as chaplain to thousands of Gustavus students and employees. For 19 years, he served as director of the Nobel Conference®, the college’s annual educational conference sanctioned by The Nobel Foundation in Sweden. Elvee brought Nobel laureates and other top scholars to campus to speak to as many as 6,000 people. For 27 years, he provided leadership for the annual Christmas in Christ Chapel worship services, a holiday tradition known for its combination of music, scripture, and pageantry.
The original blueprint for Christmas in Christ Chapel was a blend of liturgy, music, and dance, built on The Nine Lessons and Carols, a British Christmas Eve tradition celebrated at Gustavus through the 1960s. Reverend Elvee envisioned the new service in Christ Chapel as a gift to the Gustavus community—an opportunity to gather across disciplines and departments, reunite with alumni, family, and friends, and celebrate the Christmas season as a community together.
His life at Gustavus treasured music, art, books, and the ever-ready discussion or debate with colleagues or students. He lived with his family on the farm, where he provided a gathering place for students, colleagues, visiting lecturers, and friends. In addition to presiding over many formal events at the college, Chaplain Elvee is remembered for cheering on Gusties at countless sporting events and serving as advisor for the Epsilon Phi Alpha Fraternity. His wide range of interests also included the gifts of the seasons, particularly spring, tapping maple trees and spending time with extended family.
In June of 1962, Richard married Linda Schliek and together they raised their children, Stephanie and Geoffrey. After their divorce in 1997, Elvee reunited and married his college sweetheart, Edith Eckhart. He is survived by Edie, son Mark (Lisa) Zimmerman; Linda, and children Stephanie (Chris) Tangen, Geoffrey (Marygold) Elvee, and adopted African son Fereja Tahir; sisters Marianne (Howard) Phillips, Janice Elvee, and Phyllis Whitehouse; and an extended family of grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and many beloved friends.
The greater Gustavus community is invited to join us in Christ Chapel on All Saints Day, Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 2 p.m. for a service of remembrance where we will honor the life and legacy of our forever beloved chaplain Richard Q. Elvee. The service will be offered via livestream and include an extended Prelude beginning at 1:30 p.m. as well as a light reception gathering following in the Jackson Campus Center.
To quote Elvee: “The only difference between us and the dead is that they are now in an invisible form. You cannot see them with the physical eye, but you can see them with the spiritual eye in many forms. You can sense their presence with the refinement of your own spirit. You can sense them. You can feel they are near.”
