November 26, 1955 - September 28, 2022

Steve Allen Kutz, 66, passed away peacefully in the early morning hours on Wednesday, September 29, 2022 at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park, Minn. after fighting spinal cancer for 25 years. 

A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, November 26, 2023 (Happy Birthday, Steve) at 11:30 a.m. at the Hot Springs United Church. Lunch will be served by “Mike’s Catering”.

Steve was born November 26, 1955 in Belmond, Iowa to Stuart and Marilyn Kutz, the 4th of 5 children. The family moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa when he was three, where they lived for 15 years and he developed many lasting friendships. After graduation from Washington Sr. High, he moved with his parents to Minneapolis and attended Dunwoody College of Technology.

He had many talents and hobbies. After tech school, he rebuilt an engine in his parent’s garage with a fellow student and friend, Jenn Shimota. He was a talented woodworker turning bowls, making jewelry boxes, and ultimately guitars and a dulcimer which he also played. He also made his own croquet mallets and walking sticks. During his many years in a wheelchair, he adapted furniture, living quarters, equipment, wheelchairs, and even his car to accommodate his needs. He enjoyed cooking gourmet foods, tending a large garden, playing poker with friends, Michael, Nathan, and Randy, photography and cinematography, debating both sides of a political issue and life itself.

Steve had a wry sense of humor from his father, and an appreciation of the absurd or ironic. In 9th grade he played Lex Luther in “Superman”. An amusing part was his chuckling to the girls in the front row and lifting his eyebrows as he said his line, “Hee, Hee, what I could do with x-ray vision.” The audience roared. One of his favorite satirical websites was Babylon Bee, some of which he would text to his sister, Lynn, for further discussion. An event he always looked forward to was family friend, Wade Johnson’s Oct. 31st costume party.  Steve had some crazy and original costumes.

He enjoyed traveling including yearly camping trips as a child with the family, summer picnics with lifetime friends, Drahns, to New York with his sister to attend a nephew’s wedding - returning via Niagara Falls and Canada forgetting there was a handgun under the front seat, camping through Arizona with a side visit to Mexico (handgun removed), canoe trips to Boundary Waters with friends, weekend road trips with Stacy and Brad - often to visit sisters Terry or Lynn in the Dakotas where Paula & family might join in for a full fledged family camping trip to Sylvan Lake. Those big gatherings were later coined “Kutz-a-rama’s” where humor, good food, and loads of love were loudly shared. He also enjoyed long talks on the phone with everyone.

Having started a family later in life at 43, his life revolved around his daughter, Stella. They spent their time together going to museums, making movies, playing croquet, building toys and an outdoor playset, gardening, learning guitar, going fishing, painting, and just plain chillin’.  

 Steve is survived by his daughter, Stella Kutz; sisters, Paula (Wayne) Endres, Lynn (Mike) Buchholz, and Stacy (Brad) Shrader; numerous cousins, nephews and nieces and grand-nephews and nieces; and ex-wife, Diane, who remained a friend. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Terry; and cousins, Sandy and Cindy.

Steve was a devoted father, beloved brother, loyal friend, lover of life and will be deeply missed.