Thomas John Stutelberg

Rev. Thomas John Stutelberg (“Pastor Tom”), 75, passed away on September 25, 2026, in Lancaster, CA, shortly after the Minnesota Twins defeated the Texas Rangers 10-2 in one of their last games of the 2026 season.

Tom was born on March 2, 1951, in Decorah, Iowa, the eldest child of the late Wayne and Marlys Stutelberg. He had two siblings, sister Patricia (Kittelson) and brother Mark, and graduated from White Bear Lake High School in 1969. Tom earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from St. Olaf College in 1973 where he played pranks in the dorms, worked at the Quarterback Club, and occasionally attended classes.

After college, Tom attended Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California, earning his Master of Divinity in 1977. Across his career in Lutheran ministry, Tom served congregations in Washington, Idaho, Nevada, and Minnesota, including Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Spokane; First Lutheran Church in Idaho Falls; Community Lutheran Church and Good Samaritan Lutheran Church in Las Vegas; Elim Lutheran Church in Robbinsdale; St. Timothy's Lutheran Church in Columbia Heights; and East Union Lutheran Church in Carver, where he retired. Across these diverse congregations, Tom had a gift for building community and helping others articulate a shared sense of mission, purpose, and faith. Parishioners remember him for his wit, generosity, creativity, compassion, love of baseball, colorful socks & Birkenstocks, and unwavering commitment to justice.

Tom was the proud father to three children with his first wife, Jeanette: Karl, Erin, and Jack. Affectionately referring to them as "sports fans," Tom taught all three to hit, field, and run the bases and enthusiastically cheered them on as distance runners, debaters, and soccer players. He rarely missed a race, tournament, or game. In the summers, Tom would take the kids on road trips to visit family and friends (conveniently, near baseball stadiums), National Parks, The Baseball Hall of Fame, and roadside landmarks like the Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota. Tom married Andra Fjone in 1990 and the two enjoyed 34 years of marriage and raised Scooter, their basset hound, together. They moved back to Minnesota in 2000 and loved the house they shared on the Victory Memorial Parkway.

Preceded in death by his parents, Wayne and Marlys, and wife, Andra, Tom is survived by his sister Pat (John), brother Mark (Deb), and sister-in-law Barbara Ruhter (Doug). He is also survived by his children Karl (Andi), Erin, and Jack (Raina), and five grandchildren: Matthew (Ellie), Micah, Brayden, Melea, and Holden Stutelberg as well as many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, neighbors, and parishioners.

A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, October 31, 2026 at 11:00 AM at East Union Lutheran Church in Carver, Minnesota (15180 County Road 40, Carver, MN, 55315) to celebrate Tom’s extraordinary life. A lunch reception will follow. Guests are encouraged to wear Minnesota Twins gear to the service.

Memorial gifts may be made to Holden Village, where Tom served as Head Registrar from 1987 to 1989. Donations will help sustain Holden as it recovers from the devastating flooding and mudslides that damaged its only access road in December 2025.

Tom’s family would like to thank Steve, Miranda, and Felicia, caregivers at Sarah’s Care Home in Lancaster, California, for their support over the last three years, and the hospice team that facilitated his transition in his final days.