Pastor Stutler

Pastor Donald Earl Stutler, 91, of Spartanburg, SC died Monday, November 2, 2015, at Spartanburg Medical Center. Born February 17, 1924, IN Isaacs Creek, West Virginia, he was the son of the late Benjamen Lafayette Stutler and Bessie Viola Day Stutler and husband of Ethel Jones Stutler. Donald was the youngest of seven children and last surviving member of his immediate family. He attended Jarvisville Elementary School in Jarvisville, West Virginia. While in elementary school, the teacher boarded with Donald's family and he rode to school with the teacher on the back of her horse. He spent his early life, until 16 years of age, helping on the family farm located near Clarksburg, West Virginia. At the age of 16, he left West Virginia and went to live with his sister Betty in Sandy Springs, Maryland. While there he enrolled for his senior year and graduated from Sandy Springs High School at the age of 17. While attending Sandy Springs High School he got a job with Potts & Callahan Construction Company who were working on the Pentagon and he was put in charge of part of the road construction. He worked on the Pentagon road project at night and went to school during the day. When he arrived at the magical age of 18, Uncle Sam drafted him into the Navy during World War II. He was drafted into the Navy on February 2, 1943 and was honorably discharged on January 7, 1946. While in the Navy, he served on the USS Clinton (APA 144) and the USS Octavia (AF 46) and spent time at Lambert's Point Norva Demagnetizing Station located on the James River in Norfolk, Virginia. After he was discharged, he went back to work for Potts & Callahan. While working for Potts & Callahan at the Quantico Marine Base in Quantico, Virginia, he carpooled with Mr. Shack who was an Adventist. Mr. Shack invited him to Bible studies and he agreed thinking he was going to prove Mr. Shack wrong but he had to admit that Mr. Shack knew his Bible better than he did. He was baptized at 24 and joined the Pennsylvania Avenue Adventist Church in Washington, DC. He left Potts & Callahan to attend Washington Missionary College, now Columbia Union College, in Takoma Park, Maryland to study for ministry. He graduated in 1952. While at Columbia Union College he met Ethel Avadene Jones and they were married June 11, 1950. After he graduated he went to the Adventist Seminary in Takoma Park, Maryland. His internship was at his home church, Pennsylvania Avenue Adventist Church in Washington DC. He led out in the building of a new Pennsylvania Adventist Church. From that location he, with his family, moved to Danville, Virginia where he pastored and built the Danville Seventh Day Adventist Elementary School. From Danville he was called to pastor the Hampton Roads Seventh Day Adventist Church and in 1965 he was called to pastor and lead out to complete the building of the Vienna Seventh Day Adventist Church. While in Vienna he studied Hebrew at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. In 1972 to 1976 he accepted an invitation to pastor the Columbus Eastwood Seventh Day Adventist Church. While there, with the support of the church members, he reopened the Adventist School and got the school functioning again and managed to get the church mortgage paid off. He also had his own morning radio devotional program. In 1976 to 1981, he accepted a call to Pomona, California. While there, he led out in remodeling the sanctuary, Sabbath school rooms and added a kitchen and social hall in the unfinished basement. In 1981 he was called to West Covina, California and while there he and Earl King the contractor completed the plans by building the West Covina Seventh Day Adventist Church and School. While pastoring in West Covina he completed his MPH Degree at Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California. After completing the West Covina church and school, he and Earl King were asked to manage and build to completion the lodge at Camp Cedar Falls located in the San Bernardino Mountains in San Bernardino, California. Because the mountains were so steep, they put in the largest retaining wall west of the Mississippi for the road to go in and out of the camp. During this time he accepted a call to Spartanburg, South Carolina to pastor the Spartanburg Seventh Day Adventist Church and while living in Spartanburg he flew back and forth to California to complete the Camp Cedar Falls project. Soon after this project was completed, the need for a new school was realized here in Spartanburg. Plans were set into motion and the Eddlemon Elementary School and Gymnasium were completed. More room was needed in the church so the Community Service Room and Pathfinder Rooms were added. Donald and his wife Avadene retired in 1994 but he continued on with the Carolina Conference in building the Shelby, SC, New Bern, NC, Wilson, NC, Woodruff, SC, Clinton, SC, Monks Corner, SC, Charlotte Spanish, NC, and Spartanburg Spanish, SC churches. He enjoyed riding his horse, Princess Mawatchee, through the lemon groves up to Mount Baldy and he loved his three white German shepherd dogs who were all named Sheba 1, Sheba 2, and Sheba 3. He loved camping and hiking and playing ball with his church groups. In addition to his wife, Avadene, he is survived by his daughters, Susan Louise Early and spouse Emmett Early of Inman, SC, Constance Jean DeHaan of Richland, WA, Elizabeth Anne Barrett of Spartanburg, SC, and Savannah Carolyn Zelocchi of Santa Monica, CA; granddaughter, Colette DeHaan and spouse Mazer Petersen; grandson, Rodney Philip DeHaan and spouse Keilani of Pasco, WA; great-grandchild, Korra DeHaan-Petersen; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. In addition to his parents and siblings, he was predeceased by a son in April 1969 at the age of 17, Donald Philip Stutler. The family will host a memorial service honoring his life at 4:00 PM Saturday, December 5, 2015, at Spartanburg Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 1217 John B. White Sr. Blvd., Spartanburg, SC 29306. A light supper will follow the service at the Stutler Center. Military rites will close the service. The J. F. Floyd Mortuary To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Pastor Donald E. Stutler please visit our Sympathy Store.