Stephen Junker, Minnesota pastor and father of 5 dies weeks after being found ‘face down and unresponsive’ in cruise pool in Italy celebrating his son’s wedding. Sustained spinal injury leads to tragedy and heart ache as beloved priest is celebrated by his flock at Chippewa Lutheran Church in Brandon, MN.
A Minnesota pastor and father of five has died after sustaining a spinal injury on board a cruise ship while celebrating his son’s wedding last month.
Stephen Junker, a pastor at Chippewa Lutheran Church in Brandon, Minn., sustained the injury on Aug. 16 while on a cruise in Italy. Reports citing family accounts told of Junker falling and ‘nearly [drowned]’ aboard the Sun Princess ship, operated by Princess Cruises.
Junker died on Sept. 4 surrounded by his loved ones, according to his obituary. He was 58.
Celebration and revelry turns to tragedy
On the day he was injured, Junker was found in the ship’s pool ‘face down and unresponsive’.
The Italian Coast Guard transported him to a hospital in nearby Naples, where he was treated in the intensive care unit and placed on a ventilator. Junker’s doctors told his family he had suffered a ‘severe compression of his spinal cord at the C3–C4 level of his neck,’ which required emergency spinal surgery the next day, after which doctors determined that he would be quadriplegic if he survived, People Mag reported.
On 23 August, Junker’s family flew him back to the US on a transatlantic medevac flight and he underwent further treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
‘After arriving at Mayo, Steve underwent diagnostic imaging. The tests revealed compression in his spine, which was relieved via emergency surgery,’ the family shared in an update.
‘The doctors have since attempted to test his ability to breathe on his own. Unfortunately, today his diaphragm muscles weren’t able to support independent breathing so he was put back on a ventilator. We will continue to test his breathing over the coming days.’
Minnesota father of 5 and pastor remembered
Tragically, just days later, his devastated family were told the injuries were not treatable and Junker passed away surrounded by his loved ones on 4 September.
A GoFundMe fundraiser set up to help the family accommodate medical costs had exceeded its initial $30,000 goal, raising over $35,000 at time of publishing.
Junker began his career as a pharmacist after graduating from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. before attending the Lutheran Brethren Seminary in Fergus Falls, Minn. to become a pastor, according to his obituary. He was known for his ‘his animated sermons, his love of a good conversation on nearly any subject, and his readiness to help anyone in need, whether that meant offering counsel or simply producing the right tool for the job from his ever-prepared pockets.’
For nearly 10 years, Junker served as pastor of Chippewa Lutheran Church in Brandon, Minn.
Junker is survived by his wife, his children, his grandson, his parents, his sister, and a ‘host of other family and friends.’
A visitation will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 11, at Chippewa Lutheran Church, with a funeral service to follow at 11 a.m., according to the obituary.
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