Todd Vierheller

Todd Vierheller, 68, of Sun City, Arizona, passed away on September 3. He died peacefully overnight after a long battle with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was ready and at peace; his suffering is over.

Todd was born in 1958 to Irving and Jeanne Vierheller in Winter Park, a suburb of Orlando, Florida, and moved to St. Louis, Missouri, as a child, where he grew up. He earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Missouri–Rolla (now Missouri University of Science and Technology) and a master’s degree in Biblical Studies from Multnomah Biblical Seminary (now the Multnomah campus of Jessup University) in Portland, Oregon. He met the love and light of his life, Susan, at Multnomah; they married in 1984.

Todd spent his career in computer science, working in a variety of fields, including rocket science, addiction recovery, large scale manufacturing, and more. Much of his career was spent as a contractor, joining projects and companies to help with management, QA processes, and automated testing.

He long dreamed of moving to Phoenix after experiencing the hot, dry weather on a road trip as a young man, and made the dream a reality in 2000, moving his family to the Valley of the Sun from Seattle, Washington. One of his favorite things to say when people in Phoenix complained about the heat was, “I never had to shovel heat out of my driveway!” He never missed the snow.

Todd’s passion throughout his life was the study and teaching of the Bible. He was a member of Desert Springs Community Church, where he taught Sunday School for many years. He loved Star Trek ever since he was a boy, and watched every episode of every series (except Discovery); his favorites were The Original Series and Deep Space 9. He had a book collection the size of a small library, and when at home, could often be found hunched over a book, highlighter in hand, at the dining room table. He believed in standing up for yourself, and standing up for the powerless; in speaking the truth, regardless of the consequence; in hard work, and applying yourself; in commitment, devotion, and keeping your word; and in the saving power of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Todd is survived by his wife of forty-one years, Susan; their four children, Renate Estrada (Carlos) of Avondale, AZ, Clark Vierheller (Kaitlin) of Madison, WI, Lindhe Currie (Matt) of Phoenix, AZ, and Kent Vierheller of Casa Grande, AZ; their ten grandchildren; and his brother, Glen Vierheller (Debbie) of Tampa Bay, Florida. He was preceded in death by his parents, Irving and Jeanne Vierheller.