WE LOSE A "SOCIAL GIANT"
Mary Lou Stutzman, age 80, died January 1, 2006. She was born in 1925 in Janesville, Wisconsin. The girl who grew up to do so much for the underprivileged in Monterey County spent her youth overcoming disease and illness. But the lingering effects of polio did nothing to slow Ms. Stutzman's tenacity in initiating positive change.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a bachelor's degree in political science, where she met her husband Leon. They were married in 1946 and moved to the Peninsula in 1953, where Mr. Stutzman established a practice as a physical therapist. He proudly admits to being her biggest fan. "I was just a breadwinner and cheerleader for her work for 59 years," he said.
To the world, Mary Lou Stutzman was a social giant, someone who helped farm workers secure shelter and their right to vote. She worked as a volunteer for the Anti-Poverty Program, a federal program that sought to help improve the lives of the poor. Later, she was hired as program director for the Monterey County Office of Economic Opportunity. She also served as director of the Alisal Service Center. In that role, Mary Lou worked to increase voter participation by Mexican-Americans and held citizenship classes in migrant labor camps. While volunteering as an English as a second language teacher in Soledad, she became well acquainted with the plight of Latino farm workers and the dearth of available housing. Pressure from her and others led to the construction of housing and the renovation of Soledad Branch Prisoner of War Camp for use by farm workers.
Mary Lou immersed herself the League of Women Voters for more than five decades and was, accordingly, a Life Member. She worked on affordable housing and voter registration, served for several years on the League's state board, and was also president of the LWV of the Monterey Peninsula from 1963 to 1965.
As the mother of four children, Mary Lou had a deep interest in the education of youth. In 1969, she was elected to the Monterey Unified School District board and served eight years, including two years as president.
More recently, Mary Lou was involved with Monterey Peninsula College, serving on the boards of the MPC Gentrain Society and the MPC Foundation. She also served as a docent for the Monterey Art and History Association at Casa Serrano.
--Adapted from the Monterey County Herald
