Donald Stoltz

Donald Stoltz, 80, Bismarck, died November 10, 2016, at CHI St. Alexius Health in Bismarck. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday at 12:00 Noon at Church of St. Mary in Bismarck with Rev. Msgr. Gene Lindemann officiating. Burial will be at the ND Veterans Cemetery at 3:00 PM. Visitation will be held on Monday from 5:00 – 8:00 PM at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, where a vigil service will begin at 7:00 PM. Visitation will continue on Tuesday one hour prior to the service at the church. Donald was born on January 15, 1936, in Richland Center, WI, the son of Arnold and Lucy (Ray) Stoltz. Donald’s education started in a country school near Richland Center, WI. At the start of second grade he moved into town with his family. Participation in baseball, football, and track were an important part of those years. Don graduated from Richland Center High School in 1954. In January 1955, he enlisted in the US Army for three years and was sent to Ft. Leonard Wood, MO, for basic training. After basic training he was selected to attend the Army Security Agency School at Ft. Devens, MA, and trained as a cryptanalytic specialist. After training he was assigned to the Army Security Agency Intelligence Division for Southeast Asia located at Ft. Schaffer, Hawaii, where he spent two years decoding transmissions from Laos, Cambodia, North and South Vietnam, as a few special forces were in South Vietnam training their troops. At the end of his enlistment, he came back to Wisconsin and enrolled at what was then known as Winona State College, MN. After a semester, he transferred to the University of Wisconsin, married his high school classmate (Ronnie Gaynor) and majored in meteorology. In 1962 he became the Weather Service meteorologist at the Indianapolis, IN, airport. In 1965 he transferred to Washington, D.C. where he worked at the National Meteorological Center. He earned a degree in management and did graduate work at the University of Maryland. In 1972 he transferred to Sioux Falls, SD, where he was the assistant meteorologist in charge. In Sioux Falls, Don joined a Lions Club and began his association with the world’s largest service organization. His final move was to Bismarck, ND, in 1977 where he was area manager for three weather offices, Williston, Bismarck, and Fargo. He transferred his Lions membership to the Capital City Lions Club and began 40 years of service in Lionism. He served in every officer position in the club and in 1998-99 he was elected as a district governor in North Dakota. In this position he visited every Lions Club in his district and attended many conventions in the United States, Canada, and England. Thirty-eight years ago the Capital City Lions Club took on a major project, the Annual Lions All-Star Basketball games. Don was co-chairman of the games for 30 years. He worked at the yearly state track meet, the state speech contest, as well as local events. He has received two Melvin Jones awards, the top award in Lionism. He was a lifetime member of the Elks Association and belonged to NARFE (National Association of Retired Federal Employees) and St. Mary’s Parish in Bismarck. Don retired in 1994. He received many accolades during his Weather Service career. The U.S. Department of Commerce awarded him a Bronze Medal in 1979 and in 1983 he received a Silver Medal Award as part of the 35th Annual Honor Awards Program in Washington, D.C. His favorite award is from the State of North Dakota when Governor Allen Olsen presented him with the State’s Certification of Commendation. It stated that Don helped to maintain an outstanding and productive relationship between the National Weather Service and state government. Don is survived by his wife, Ronnie of Bismarck; three sons, Matthew (Susan) of Bismarck, Mike (Kary) of Bismarck, and Mark (Rosanne) of Bloomington, MN; five grandchildren, Megan, Courtney, Sarah, Emily, and Christopher; two great-grandchildren, Aurora and William; one sister, Janet (Ken) Burrington of Waterloo, IA; one sister-in-law, Elaine Stoltz of Wisconsin; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Arnold and Lucy; and his brothers, Ken, Jim, Gareld, and Verlin Stoltz. Memorials may be given to St. Mary’s Grade School, Central Dakota Humane Society, or ND Lions Foundation.