Prominent Christian author and publisher Robert Wolgemuth has died at the age of 77.
Wolgemuth died on Jan. 10 after a “brief but intense battle” with pneumonia, his family said in a statement.
Announcing his death, his wife, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, said in a post on X that Robert had "arrived at his final destination."
"Whenever Robert traveled any distance — perhaps driving to an appointment or an airport or flying to another city — when he reached his destination, he would text me a single word: Safe," she wrote.
"He wanted to let me know that he had arrived. I'm writing to let you know that Robert is 'safe.' My 'DH' (dear husband) has arrived at his final destination. He is safely Home."
Nancy said family members and close friends gathered around Wolgemuth in his final hours.
“Over the last few days, several close friends and family members have kept vigil with me around Robert’s bed, singing hymns, praying, waiting, weeping … and worshiping," she wrote. "His children and grandchildren (who we were able to spend time with less than a month ago) said good-bye through FaceTime.”
Nancy said that during Robert's final moments on Saturday morning, she played a song titled “Come to Jesus,” which ends with the words “And with your final heartbeat, kiss the world goodbye then go in peace, and laugh on Glory’s side and fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus and live.”
“On the phrase, ‘with your final heartbeat,’ Robert took a gasping breath,” she said. Wolgemuth’s brother added that Robert "flew to Jesus” at that moment.
Wolgemuth worked with several leading Christian authors including Max Lucado, Joni Eareckson Tada, Alistair Begg, Randy Alcorn, Jack Graham and Greg Laurie.
Laurie called him “a legend in Christian publishing” and said his work “has literally touched millions of people around the world."
Wolgemuth held a number of leadership positions in Christian publishing, including at Campus Life magazine, Word Publishing and Thomas Nelson Publishers, where he served as president, and the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, where he served as chairman.
He was also a prolific author, writing 25 books, including “What’s In the Bible?” with R. C. Sproul and “Men of the Bible” with Anne Spangler.
