Pastor Fred Waldron Phelps Sr., founder of the Westboro Baptist Church, died late Wednesday, a daughter of Phelps confirmed Thursday morning to the Topeka Capital-Journal.
The newspaper reported over the weekend that 84-year-old Phelps recently became a patient at the Midland Care Hospice in Topeka.
Phelps’ son, Nate Phelps, posted a statement to his Facebook page that his father was “on the edge of death.”
Westboro Baptist Church is best known for anti-gay protests and picketing soldiers’ funerals. Phelps had been excommunicated from the church in August 2013 for advocating more kindness towards members.
