Diakon expresses condolences over passing of former Topton president

Allentown, Pa. (Tuesday January 21, 2020)

Staff members of Diakon express condolences over the recent passing of the Rev. Dr. Paul Buehrle, a resident of Luther Crest, a Diakon Senior Living Community in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and retired president of The Lutheran Home at Topton when it was a separate organization.

A faithful supporter of Diakon, Dr. Buehrle led the former Topton organization from 1975 to 1995 and was responsible for overseeing significant change at the institution—whose history is now continued by Diakon. That change included growth of community-based services for children, youths and families and development or expansion of senior living services in eastern Pennsylvania.

Dr. Buehrle took part in numerous Diakon events and was a featured speaker at the 2018 dedication of the refurbished Old Main building on The Lutheran Home at Topton campus.

The Lutheran Home at Topton merged with LWS of Northeastern Pennsylvania in 1997 and the resulting Lutheran Services Northeast organization affiliated with (and later merged with) Tressler Lutheran Services in 2000. 

A native of Bucks County and graduate of Muhlenberg College and the former Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, Dr. Buehrle served as a parish pastor before being named executive director of the Wilmington Senior Center in Wilmington, Delaware, the role he held before his appointment at Topton.

A full obituary is found here.