Julie Kauflin, the wife of Sovereign Grace Music director and Louisville pastor Bob Kauflin, died suddenly on Monday, Nov. 9, after collapsing during the couple's weekly date night. Bob and Julie had celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary earlier this year.
In a Facebook post reported by ChurchLeaders, Kauflin said he and Julie had finished dinner and were walking to their car when her knees buckled. He lowered her to the ground, and someone called for an ambulance after she became unresponsive.
When Kauflin reached the hospital, fellow pastor Brian Chesemore was there waiting for him. A doctor told Kauflin that the medical team was having difficulty getting Julie's heart working again and was still trying to revive her. The doctor returned a short time later to tell him that those efforts had been unsuccessful. Less than 90 minutes had passed since Julie collapsed, Kauflin said.
"I went on a date night with Julie and came home a widower," he wrote.
Kauflin began his announcement with Psalm 139:16, which speaks of God knowing the span of a person's life before it begins. He wrote that Monday was the last of the days God had written for Julie, whom he described as his wife and best friend. He ended that opening reflection with two words that expressed his Christian hope. "She's home."
Bob and Julie married in 1976 and have six children and several grandchildren. When Julie marked their golden wedding anniversary on Facebook in August, she said she was more in love with her husband than ever. She summed up their marriage in three words. "50 amazing years!"
Kauflin serves as a pastor at Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville, Kentucky, alongside his work directing Sovereign Grace Music. In his announcement, he gave readers a glimpse of a routine the couple had kept after five decades of marriage. They still set aside an evening each week to go on a date.
