Dr. Phil E. Suiter departed this earthly life and entered his eternal home with his heavenly Father on August 26, 2026. His life began on October 6, 1932, at Guthrie Hospital in Huntington, West Virginia.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Derward and Bethel Wallace Suiter, who resided in Bradrick, Ohio, just east of Chesapeake; his wife of sixty years, Frieda Adkins Suiter; and three siblings: Phyllis Poynter of Chesapeake, Ohio; Bonnie Moore of South Point, Ohio; and William Suiter of Chesapeake, Ohio.

He is survived by his wife, Burnis Wolf Suiter, and his five children: Pamela Jeffcott (Tom) of Cedar City, Utah; Kimberly Cook (Scott) of Buffalo, West Virginia; Dr. Kevin Suiter (Grace) of Indianapolis, Indiana; Jonathan Suiter of St. Albans, West Virginia; and Patrick Suiter (Mara Lee) of Willow Grove, North Carolina. He is also survived by eight grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.

He served in the United States Army during the Korean War and was stationed at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Aberdeen, Maryland. His first teaching assignment came during his military service, when he was responsible for instructing the men in his company in the use of the weaponry they would be expected to employ after deployment.

Dr. Suiter held degrees from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia; Miami University in Oxford, Ohio; and The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, where he earned his doctorate in 1969.

He began his professional career in 1957 as a teacher at Chesapeake High School and later served as principal of that same school. He subsequently accepted a faculty position at Marshall University, where he served until 1972. He then joined the West Virginia Department of Education in Charleston, first serving as Director of Professional Development. In that role, he worked with West Virginia’s four-year colleges in the preparation of teachers for the state’s local school systems. He later served as Assistant State Superintendent, leading the Bureau of Learning Systems for the West Virginia Department of Education.

In 1980, Dr. Suiter resigned from the West Virginia Department of Education, sensing God’s call to redirect his years of experience in public education toward Christian ministry and the advancement of private Christian and homeschool education in West Virginia. That decision marked a significant turning point in his life and career, as he devoted the years that followed to Christian education, pastoral ministry, and public-policy efforts affecting Christian schools and homeschooling families. While serving as a pastor, he organized the Family Policy Council of West Virginia to promote family and Christian concerns before the West Virginia Legislature.

Dr. Suiter was a principal architect and advocate of the 1983 Exemption K legislation and Article 28, securing broad independence for Christian and other nonpublic schools. The legislation was approved by both the House of Delegates and the Senate without amendment to the language he had prepared and was signed into law by Governor Jay Rockefeller.

Dr. Suiter directed the work of the West Virginia Christian Education Association for several years and served on the Board of the American Association of Christian Schools. In collaboration with Dr. Charles Walker and others, he helped develop the AACS Accreditation Manual and chaired accreditation teams across the country, all while also serving as a pastor. In recent years, he authored and published two books addressing issues related to Christian education that were written especially for leaders within the American Association of Christian Schools. These works reflected his years of experience in education and continue to be used in the training and professional development of Christian school leaders.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Phil was deeply devoted to his family and took great interest in the lives and welfare of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, praying for them faithfully each day. He grew up singing with his siblings and passed that love of music on to his own children. Family gatherings, particularly at holidays, were especially meaningful to him, and he often expressed gratitude for his Christian upbringing, his years growing up on a farm, and the lessons in hard work and responsibility that those early years had taught him.

Phil was born again in a corn field on the banks of Indian Guyan Creek on November 11, 1946 during a week of revival services. He was an avid reader and a lifelong student of the Bible. He possessed an extensive knowledge of Scripture and remained deeply engaged with theological issues throughout his life. Perhaps his greatest spiritual concern in his later years was that those around him clearly understand the biblical meaning of the new birth and the necessity of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Funeral services for Dr. Phil Suiter will be held at noon on Thursday, September 10, at Cross Lanes Bible Church, 5442 Big Tyler Road, Cross Lanes, WV. Pastor Charles Phelps of Colonial Hills Baptist Church in Indianapolis will officiate. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. Burial at Highland Memorial Gardens, 198 Private Road, South Point, Ohio, will take place at 3:00 for those who wish to attend with military honors by American Legion Post 93, Kenova, WV.

Memorial gifts in Dr. Suiter’s memory may be made by check or electronically to one or both of the following causes, each of which was dear to Phil and his family:

1) The Phil Suiter Memorial for Utah Church Planting https://vbcfamily.churchtrac.com/suitermemorialfund supporting the ministry of Phil’s grandchildren, Chris and Katie Dodson and Josh and Christina Harding, who serve as missionary church planters among the Mormons.

2) The Phil Suiter Legacy Fund, a newly established endowment fund that will provide resources for WVCEA Christian education initiatives. Donation instructions will be announced by September 17 at WVCEA.org.