Charles F. Sturtz

Charles F. Sturtz, 88, died February 17, 2025 in Ashton, Maryland. Chuck, as he was known to family and friends, was born in the small town of Bucyrus, Ohio on August 26, 1936. He was the oldest of 6 children born to Fredrick F. and Jemima (Scott) Sturtz. He graduated from Sulphur Springs High School in 1954 with just 9 other students in his grade. His mother served as the choir director and organist at the St. John’s Lutheran church and nurtured in all of her children the love of singing. Annual Thanksgiving gatherings of the family often included Chuck and his siblings singing favorite hymns. Chuck went on to sing in Lutheran church choirs in every city he lived in for more than 60 years. 

The foundation that was laid being raised in a tight-knit family in a small farming community served Chuck well for the rest of his life. Foregoing a scholarship opportunity from The Ohio State University in agriculture, he instead decided to pursue a degree in political science from Wittenberg University starting in 1954. At Wittenberg Chuck found both his stride, excelling academically and singing choir and barbershop quartet, and his bride Judith Elsie Flook. He met Judy while they were both singing in the Wittenberg Choir in 1955. Their meeting led to wedding bells on June 13, 1959, followed by a honeymoon in Lake Placid, New York. This past June, Chuck and Judy celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. 

Like many college graduates in the late 1950’s, Chuck was drafted into the U.S Army. Prior to entering the Army, Chuck completed work on his Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Wayne State University while working for the Citizen’s Research Council. During his stint in the Army, he was stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii for 2 years where he served with the 125th Signal Battalion. Although the pay was meager and the living conditions were spartan, the beaches and sunshine were second to none. 

While stationed in Hawaii, Chuck and Judy started their family. Michael Charles was born in July 1961. Following Chuck’s honorable discharge from the Army in 1962, the family moved to Lansing, Michigan, where Mark Andrew arrived in May 1963, followed shortly thereafter by Matthew Scott in September 1964. After a brief respite, Christopher John joined the clan in November 1969. Chuck and Judy had their hands full with 4 boys under the age of 10. To round out their family (and add a girl to the mix) they explored adoption and were blessed with the arrival of Karen Kyung to the family in December 1971. Family vacations were frequently spent at beautiful northern Michigan campgrounds and adventurers around the country with all 7 family members bunking together in a pop-up camper. 

While Chuck and Judy were building their family, Chuck stayed busy professionally as he rose through the ranks of the Bureau of the Budget for the State of Michigan, becoming Director in 1973. His position with State Government included directing and overseeing the finances of Michigan’s public universities. In 1975, he decided to return to Wayne State University where he accepted the job of Vice President for Business and Finance. In 1982, he accepted the post of Vice President for Administrative Affairs at the University of Maryland, College Park. Upon his departure from Michigan, the Legislature passed a resolution declaring (in his honor) “a unanimous accolade of tribute” and noting that his “financial expertise has been especially invaluable to Wayne State over the past few years during the economic crisis which has gripped Michigan.” 

During his tenure at the University of Maryland, ultimately spanning nearly 20 years, Chuck oversaw the greatest expansion of campus buildings and infrastructure in the university’s history. All totaled, he was responsible for 44% of the square footage in buildings on the campus of the University of Maryland College Park existing at the time of his retirement. While overseeing this extensive work and the entire operation of the university campus, Chuck saw fit to complete his own education, earning a Ph.D in Public Administration in 1990. One of his great joys at Wayne State and the University of Maryland was teaching college classes on public financial management. 

In addition to Chuck’s roles in his family and at public institutions, he also lent his financial and leadership talents to the churches that he and Judy belonged to over the years. He was proud to serve on various church committees, the Metro D.C. Lutheran Synod, and on the Board of Directors at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia in addition to supporting the Lutheran Student Association at the University of Maryland. 

Chuck’s family continued to grow with the addition of daughters-in-law Colleen (Michael), Donna (Matt), Rebecca (Mark), Kathleen O’Halloran (Karen), and life partner, Jillian Jensen (Chris). He retired in 2002 and spent more than 2 decades traveling the world with Judy, spending time at his cabin in Davis, West Virginia, golfing with his university buddies, gathering with his siblings and extended families every Thanksgiving, and spending time with grandchildren, Kimberly (Ryan), Stephanie (Jake), David, Julia, Rebecca, Addison, and Jackson. With Judy at his side, he fought a courageous 15-year battle against Parkinson’s disease. As the disease progressed, he never complained about it – this was probably due to his upbringing on that farm in Bucyrus, Ohio. 

He is survived by his beloved wife, Judy, and his children and grandchildren. He is also survived by his brothers Melvin (Joan) and Randy (Nancy). He was preceded in death by his parents, his 2 sisters, Katherine Friend and Laurie Sturtz, and his brother, John. 

A memorial service honoring Chuck’s life will be held at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, located at 16420 S. Westland Drive, Gaithersburg, MD, at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, February 24, 2025. He will be laid to rest in Union Cemetery, Sulphur Springs. 

Reflecting their lifelong love of education, in 2002, he created the Chuck and Judy Sturtz Leadership Scholarship fund at the University of Maryland. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations honoring Chuck may be made to the Scholarship Fund or Good Shepherd Lutheran Church at the following web sites: https://giving.umd.edu/giving/Fund.php?name=chuck-and-judy-sturtz-leadership-scholarship or to https://www.goserve.net/give.