Donald Lee Sternitzke, 88, was born May 8, 1931 in Fort Dodge, Iowa to Otto William and Anna Teresa (Kleber) Sternitzke. He passed away on July 31, 2019, surrounded by family. He was preceded in death by his brothers David and James. He is survived by his wife of 59 years Geraldine Marie Schulte Sternitzke, his daughter Mary Ellen Sternitzke (Cheyenne, WY), his son Kent Donald Sternitzke (Bowling Green), his daughter Tera Anne Sternitzke (Hinsdale, IL), and by his grandchildren Kendra, Erin, Corey and Megan Shamley and Anna, Matthew and William Mazure.
Donald attended Sacred Heart Catholic grade school and high school in Fort Dodge. Outside of school, he milked cows at his uncle’s farm, sold shoes, and sang in a barbershop quartet. Upon graduation in 1949, he enrolled in Fort Dodge Junior College. He then enlisted in the US Navy and served as an aerographer’s mate first class at Naval Station Sangley Point near Manila, Philippines during the Korean War. After serving a year at Naval Air Station Alameda near San Francisco he was honorably discharged in 1955. After the navy he enrolled at the University of Iowa. He earned a B.S.C. in economics in 1957 and an M.A. in accounting in 1959, and worked for a public accounting firm in Chicago for one year. He then returned to the University of Iowa and earned a Ph.D. in economics in 1963. After serving as a professor of economics at the University of Arizona (Tucson) for four years, he accepted a position at BGSU in 1967. There he served as a professor of economics until his retirement in 1992. His roles included chairman of the Dept. of Economics from 1967 to 1973, acting associate dean of the College of Business Administration from 1982 to 1983, and Director of Graduate Studies in Economics from 1969 to 1970 and 1983 to 1985. In the early 1970s he occasionally appeared on TV to predict the price of gold. Don also served as accountant for St. Thomas More Parish at BGSU.
While teaching an economics class in 1958 at the Univ. of Iowa, Donald met Geraldine Schulte. They were married on September 12, 1959. While living in Iowa City as Don completed graduate school, they had Mary Ellen and Kent. Their younger daughter Tera was born in Tucson as Don taught at the Univ. of Arizona. Next they moved to Bowling Green where they raised their family as Don taught economics at BGSU. They would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in September 2019.
Don and Geri spent their years of retirement making quilts, taking care of their grandchildren, and traveling through Europe, the Holy Land, and all 50 states. They were active members of St. John XXIII Catholic Church in Perrysburg. Don loved golf, rollerblading, wood working, volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, gourmet dining with his friends, euchre, parties with his friends from the economics department and church, and Iowa Hawkeye football.
Friends are invited to visitation Wednesday August 7, 2019 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Dunn Funeral Home, located in the Historical District of Bowling Green at 408 West Wooster St. A Scripture Service will be held Wednesday evening at the funeral home at 6:30 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday August 8, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at Saint John XXIII, 24250 N. Dixie Hwy. Perrysburg, Ohio 43551. Father Herb Weber will officiate. Interment will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery in Bowling Green where full military honors will be rendered by the Wood County Honor Detail. Additional visitation will be held Thursday morning at the church from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the service at 10:00 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to the Bethany House (Sylvania), run by the Lourdes nuns. Bethany House is a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio, providing safe, long-term and transitional shelter for victims of violence and their children.
Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.dunnfuneralhome.com.
