Randal Grier Stutzman
December 29, 1945 ~ November 27, 2025
Born in:
Peoria, Illinois
Resided in:
Denver, Colorado
Randal Grier Stutzman, 79, of Pueblo, Colorado, passed away on November 27, 2025 in Denver, Colorado, surrounded by loving family.
Randal (Randy, Stutz, Rand) was born on December 29, 1945 in Peoria, Illinois, the son of Mildred Ruth [Grier] and Harold Vernon Stutzman. They later moved to Viola, Kansas where Randy spent his childhood years.
Randal graduated from Conway Springs High School in 1964, then went on to Washburn University of Topeka, earning a Bachelor of Arts in political science. After graduating in 1969, a love of the mountains and his first teaching job at Central High School brought him to Pueblo, Colorado.
Randal married Donna Lee [Driscoll] on March 16, 1974 at St. Francis Xavier Church in Pueblo, CO. Their 51 year marriage included countless adventures: world wide travel; living in beautiful Beulah, CO, and later raising their daughters in their Aberdeen home; teaching together at Central High School where they brought the beauty and history of Europe to life for countless students with immersive summer trips; welcoming twin daughters, Nicole and Danielle, with whom they continued to share their love of travel and learning; meeting their sons-in-law, Will and Chris, who nervously attempted to answer Randal’s history trivia; welcoming two grandsons, Luca and Matteo, who adored cheering on the CU Buffs and the Kansas Jayhawks with their beloved “Rand.”
For over 30 years, “Mr. Stutzman” taught US History and Comparative Systems at Central High School. His illustrious career also included taking student groups to Washington, D.C. for a Close Up view of government and sponsoring the International Relations Club. Randal’s knowledge of history and passion for teaching impacted countless students.
After his retirement in 2001, Randal enjoyed travelling and spending time with his family and friends.
Remaining to cherish Randal’s memory are his loving wife, Donna [Driscoll] Stutzman; daughters, Dr. Nicole Stutzman (Will Torrence), Dr. Danielle Stutzman (Dr. Chris Miller); grandchildren, Luca and Matteo Torrence; sister, Susan [Stutzman] Beck; sisters-in-law, Nanette Kasper, LouAnn Parker and Laura Pittman; brothers-in-law, Jeff Parker and Matt Pittman; nieces and nephews, Jill Beck, Jamie (Dan) Proffer, Marc (Melinda Montoya) Mondragon, Jamie Mondragon-Brown (Ryan), Kyle Kasper, Kayla Kasper, Lauren (Dr. Garrett) Baker, and Michael Pittman; and eight great nephews.
Preceding Randal in death are his parents, Harold and Mildred Stutzman, and many extended family members, lifelong friends, and beloved pets.
Join us and share your memories at a Celebration of Life Open House on Sunday, January 11, 2026 at Angelo’s Pizza Parlor on the Pueblo Riverwalk from 1-4 pm. Inurnment will be held at Roselawn Cemetery in a private family service.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Randal’s memory may be directed to the Parkinson’s Foundation (Randal’s tribute page) or to the Pueblo Central High School Foundation.
Services
Celebration of Life: January 11, 2026 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Angelo's
105 E. Riverwalk
Pueblo, CO 81003
(719) 544-8588
https://angelospizzapie.com/
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The Stutzman family i am deeply sadden of your loss. Am a graduate of the class of 96′ I loved having U.S. History i learned so much from Mr. Stutz. I was one student maybe out of a whole bunch, that he took my 3 ring binder because my notes and all the info i kept in it he told me it was one of the best note taking he has seen in a while this was my key to passing his class Straights A’s for the whole yeat he was a very good teacher and cared about his students always willing to help or discuss the civil war and what not my deepest sympathy to you all he was an awesome guy. God bless your family
We did not know Randy and Donna until later, as neighbors here in Aberdeen. Randy was having health problems but we still enjoyed our brief encounters with him. Donna (with her boundless energy!) was a fine companion for him.
We have enjoyed all of the compliments from so many students. Fine tributes to a good man.
Mr. Stutzman was always encouraging and helpful to me especially during my college recruitment. Loved his class. Hard to find someone of his caliber. 😇
Randy was a good friend and neighbor in Beulah a long time ago. But I’ll really remember him as the best waiter Pueblo ever had when he worked at Three Thieves east of city park.
Dennis G. Class of “78
We’re so sorry to hear of Randy‘s passing. He was such a sweet man! I always enjoyed our visits when he came into to the shop get coffee for Donna.
I can imagine what a great loss you must be feeling! Our love and prayers are with you.
Pat and Sally Mara
I was blessed to have Mr Stutzman for two years. I learned history, comparative systems etc. , but the best part of his class was the ethics and morals he would discuss. He truly made a huge impact on my life, and I will be eternally grateful.
Thank you sir,
Dear Donna and Girls: We were so shocked and saddened to hear of Randy’s passing. Please know you are in our thoughts and prayers. Please take care – Danita and John
Condolences to the Stutzmsn family and friends. We sure enjoyed having him as a teacher at Central early in his career. What a great life and family he had. Blessings and peace be to all!
My heartfelt Sympathies to his dear family.
Carol (Chotvacs) Rickman
My Gratitude,
Janell Keller
This is heartbreaking news. I had hoped to visit him while I was back in town. I arrived on November 26th, but he passed away the very next day.
His Comparative Religions class during zero hour played a significant role in strengthening my Christian faith. He introduced us to a wide range of religious beliefs and gave us opportunities to engage with leaders from different religious backgrounds in the community. That exposure helped me grow as a young Christian. I especially remember the final guest speaker, an atheist gentleman, whose conversation with me inspired a deeper study of historical Christian evidences.
We were truly blessed to have had Mr. Stutzman as our teacher. He shaped countless students over the years, and I’m grateful to be one of them. His care for his students and his dedication to thoughtful learning left a lasting mark on my life. I will always be grateful for him.
My heart goes out to Mrs. Stutzman, Nicole et Danielle, and all who knew and loved Mr. Stutzman. What an absolute privilege to be taught by someone so caring, insightful, and brilliant. He is still one of my all time favorite teachers, he left an indelible mark and I have never forgotten him.
I think we were one of his first classes that he taught. We were a bit of a challenge for him. I learned a lot in his classes and have always considered him;to be one of my favorite teachers. My prayers to his family. Janet Mendenhall Hatton
Condolences to the family. I was a student of Mr Stutzman at Central in the 70’s. He was an inspiring teacher. Thoughts and prayers to the family!
Donna, so sorry to hear about Randy our prayers are sent to your family. May he rest in peace.
My favorite teacher at Central hands down! I had him sophomore year for US History, where I told him if I were ever on Who Wants to be a Millionaire he’d be my life line to call. Still to this day, I remember his smile when I told him that. And I stand by that statement today, he was so knowledgeable. He made history fun! I was looking forward to taking his Comparative Systems class but wasn’t able to because he retired. Mr. Stutzman definitely left an impact on me. My heart goes out to his family.
I had Mr Stutzman for both US History and Comparative Systems. He was one of the great teachers at Central.
Mr. Stutzman was a rare teacher who could inspire his students to reach higher and think creatively, outside the box. As a side note, it was a pleasure seeing him at Three Thieves outside of Central. Many, many Wildcats are grateful for his educational style – we knew he cared about his students. My condolences to his family on this loss. Jane Wilson (Class of 80)
We are all so blessed to have had him in our lives, as he gave so much passion and kindness to his art of teaching. He really helped us to see the world around us in a connected way that resonated into our life path and created opportunities for peace and understanding.
I don’t think I ever had a student come to my office to drop Randy’s class. That’s what you call an educator.
What a nice guy and a wonderful teacher! My students would tell me what he said, did, or assigned in his classes with admiration and sometimes with a little pain, as it would require some work. Such a pleasure to have him as a colleague.
I’m deeply saddened to hear of Mr. Stutzman’s passing. I’ll never forget the UpClose Washington, D.C. trip he led. It was my first real glimpse of what life could be like beyond high school. Being away without our parents, meeting students from different backgrounds, and seeing the monuments and history he loved so much made such a lasting impact on me.
I was lucky to have him not only for history, but also for comparative systems. He taught us to think bigger than our own culture and opened our minds to new perspectives. He and Mrs. Stutzman were true pillars of Central, and I feel fortunate to have had them both as teachers. Please accept my heartfelt condolences. He made a difference, and I’m grateful to have been one of his students.
I’m saddened to hear of his passing. He was a great teacher. In appreciation, at the end of the school year, I gave him a poster-size cartoon of our particular class with caricatures of all the students and their antics. It was titled, “The Emancipation of Stutzman”, suggesting he would finally be free of the Class of ‘73 when we graduated. I have thought about him often and wondered what he’d think about me having a career in art. His legacy is written in the minds he helped grow. Journey in peace, Mr. Stutzman.
He was a wonderful history teacher I got my love of history being in his class and his wife was a wonderful French teacher
My prayers and condolences to Donna and his family he will be missed 💐
He was a gentleman.
My sincere condolences 😞. I was a student if Randy’s and had the pleasure of going on a summer trip he and Donna lead to tour historical sites in Europe the summer before my senior year. He was an excellent teacher! Easily one of my favorites. For me, he transformed history and social studies from a boring class I had to take into a super relevant and interesting topic that has relevance to so much of the world around me. I hope he knew how big of an impact he had on his students. Beyond that, was also just a great person. My condolences to his family and friends.
Sending Positive Energy & Love your way❣️
✌️❤️🙏🌞
I had Mr. Stutzman as my history teacher and zero hour world religion class. He made history fun. He was a tough, but fair teacher. Our zero hour got to go on local field trips to the churches in town and I enjoyed that class a lot. Prayers for his family and friends.