Navy chaplains gathered with family and friends at the Old Post Chapel on Joint-Base Myer-Henderson Hall to pay tribute to the life and ministry of Rear Adm. Ross H. Trower, March 17. Trower, an ordained Lutheran minister, served as a Navy chaplain for 38 years from 1945-1983, retiring as the 15th Chief of Chaplains. Throughout his career, he brought the presence of God and a message of hope to the Sailors and Marines he served with at sea, ashore, in training commands, and in Naval hospitals. His career also included combat tours with the 1st Marine Division in Korea and 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in Vietnam. After retirement, Trower went on to serve as associate pastor at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Springfield, Va. for nearly 30 years until his death on Oct. 31, 2014. Chief of Chaplains Rear Adm. Margaret Grun Kibben delivered the homily during the funeral service that celebrated his life and which preceded committal in Arlington National Cemetery. "Chaplain Trower was one of our beloved leaders of the Chaplain Corps and the first Chief of Chaplains and first admiral I ever met while I was attending the Basic Course at the Chaplain School in Newport," Kibben said. "With a ready smile that revealed an engaging and approachable soul, he represented everything I strived to be a part of: The Navy, the Chaplain Corps, and his was the legacy I wanted to carry on." Kibben added. "He would often advise chaplains at the Basic and Intermediate Leadership Courses to remain steady at the helm, focused on the care and concern of those to whom we minister vice our individual careers, and to remain true to our calling of serving others," she shared. Kibben went on to describe Trower's pastoral role as a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord, reflecting the love of Christ. "Ross's life's calling was to ensure that there were no barriers that would prevent a Sailor, Marine, family member or anyone else from entering...to receive the inheritance Christ offered them." Former Chiefs of Chaplains Rear Adm. Mark L. Tidd and Rear Adm. David E. White and former Deputy Chief of Chaplains for Reserve Matters Rear Adm. Harold Robinson were also in attendance to honor the legacy of their distinguished colleague. They were joined by several members of the St. Mark's Lutheran Church congregation who were there to pay respects to their pastor. Following the service, Rev. Albert W. Triolo, senior pastor at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, oversaw the committal in Arlington National Cemetery on Chaplains' Hill. Chaplains' Hill is the final resting place for many distinguished U.S. military chaplains and their family members. There are also four monuments dedicated to chaplains who gave the last full measure of devotion in times of war. One monument is specific to chaplains who made the ultimate sacrifice in World I, and the remaining three monuments each recognize Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant chaplains who died during World II, Korea, Vietnam and the Cold War, according to Lt. William Edmund Newsome, supervisory chaplain for Arlington National Cemetery. "During my time at Arlington, I have presided over 1,200 services, but only three of those services have been for chaplains. Though I did not have the privilege to personally meet Chaplain Trower, I learned about him in Chaplain School. He was a legend in the Chaplain Corps, and I recall how highly people spoke of him," Newsome said. "As a junior chaplain, it was an honor to be part of the Chaplain Corps family coming together to honor one of our leaders. Seeing all those gathered here on Chaplains' Hill today speaks to the profound impact Chaplain Trower's ministry had over the past 60+ years," Newsome added. Trower was buried alongside his wife of nearly 57 years, Margaret Doering Trower, and is survived by four children, five grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. To learn more about the Navy Chaplain Corps, visit: www.chaplain.navy.mil or http://chaplaincorps.navylive.dodlive.mil