Michael A. Stoltz

November 6, 1940 - October 7, 2021

Michael Stoltz, 80, of Albany, passed away at home surrounded by his children, Rhonda, DeNel, Craig and Shawna, and his beloved partner, Gladys Hardin. Mike remained active until the last months of his very full life. In recent years, Mike and Gladys traveled to Mongolia to see the annual national celebration, took a safari across Kenya, cruised the Christmas markets of Europe, and ventured to the Galapagos and Machu Pichu. All this in addition to many visits to their families across Montana and Oregon that included eight children, 16 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Mike spent his childhood on the family ranch in Sunburst, Montana, with his brother, Pete, and sisters Sarah Lee, Alanna, and Arleyn. He was grateful to have visited with all his surviving siblings shortly before his passing. Mike was predeceased by his brother, Pete, and Mike's wife, Alice, to whom he was married for 50 years. Together, they raised four children and shared many adventures starting with running a small farm in rural Montana, becoming a federal extension agent, first in Montana, then in Oregon, and going on to travel the world.

Throughout his life, Mike was known for his infectious laugh, his commitment to fairness and hard work, and his love of learning new things. Mike was among a group of young Montanan leaders chosen to travel to China in 1976 with the KEEP program. He traveled to more than 30 countries, including volunteer service with farmers in both Poland and Ethiopia as they converted to a free market system.

Mike was with the extension service his entire career, his last two years as regional director for Oregon, and active in National Association of County Extension Agents. He loved traveling the states and talking with farmers and scientists alike. Mike was a noted specialist in cereal grains, marketing, annual cropping, and Russian wheat aphid. He contributed significantly to the cultivation of meadowfoam and canola in Oregon, which helped with soil renewal and reduced the use of field burning.

He was a professor emeritus at Oregon State University, and he received OSU's Diamond Pioneer award for career achievement and contributions to agriculture, as well as awards from the National Association of Wheat Growers, OSU, and the National Association of County Extension Agents for excellence in extension education.

The family will hold a private memorial. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to:

Parkinson's Resources of Oregon (PRO) www.parkinsonsresources.org or Manning-Becker Fund Professional Endowment Fund - Oregon Agricultural Extension Association. Send checks payable to: ER Jackman Foundation/Becker; OSU Foundation, 850 SW 35th St., Corvallis, OR 97331

Published by Albany Democrat-Herald on Oct. 13, 2021.