In Rememberance of Jeff Stolz

On September 16th, 2019, Jeffrey Dean Stolz lost his final battle with cancer. He was a costuming icon; a pillar of the arts for both Viterbo University and our surrounding community. Luckily for us, 25 years of his life was dedicated to the creation and education of aspiring costumers.

How do you capture such excellence with only 800 words at your disposal? In first accepting the responsibility of writing about Jeff Stolz, I saw this as a feasible goal; because I hadn’t had the pleasure of knowing him.

But in listening to those close to Stolz, for a brief amount of time, recall good times and what he taught; I’ve begun to feel as if I’ve known him for years. Now in submitting this article, beads of sweat develop on my forehead; because you will come to learn, as I have, that there is no limit to words that can be used to describe Stolz.

“Dedicated” was a word often used in reference to Stolz. In conversing with Matthew Campbell, department head of theatre and music theatre, he explained Stolz as “Dedicated to teaching, dedicated to his faith, and dedicated to serving his community.”

Stolz was an artist; his job was to design and build the costumes for Viterbo’s on-stage productions. As Campbell went on to describe, Jeff “was interested in creation, he never replicated what others did.”

“He always brought out the creativity in everyone,” stated Jen Brown, assistant professor and head of property build. “He was also twisted; he could take a material no one would touch and make something great out of it.”

In fact, “creativity” was another word attributed to Stolz. As Brown went on to describe, “He was really good at main-stage design; he had this ability to know what textures and materials would look like under the lights. Though some of his creations looked odd up-close they looked phenomenal on-stage; I’ve always been very jealous of that.”

Stolz was a teacher, a position he proudly held, until the final days of his life. For the students of Viterbo, beginner or advanced, he taught how to design and build costumes. “Classes with Jeff were always fun,” recalled Phoebe Rodriguez, junior costumer at Viterbo. “When teaching with Frank, it quickly became the Frank and Jeff Show.”

Stolz’s humor was frequently discussed in each interview conducted. However, it was the way that he challenged his students that I will focus on next. “The fear of Jeff was a powerful motivator,” humored Rodriguez. “There was done and then there was Jeff done.”

She could tell I looked puzzled, so Rodriguez explained, “When working on a project for Jeff; you finished it and then you finished it again.” Stolz was a perfectionist, but he brought out the best in his students. It was a standard students, like Rodriguez, are thankful for.

Though it was hard work students did under Stolz, “compassionate” was another word that couldn’t be left alone. “He had a profound understanding of the human condition,” stated Frank Ludwig, theatre and music theatre professor. “He treated everyone in our department as a fellow artist and creator; he was always unmistakably kind.”

Stolz was known by students to keep to himself, to not wear his life on his sleeve. Personally, I often think that he may have disliked an article about him because he simply did not enjoy such attention. As result of this, many have yet to realize all he did for those outside of Viterbo.

“He did so much community work” stated Alexandra Bell, senior costumer, “he taught us there are no limits to what we can do for people; if you are passionate in something you have to use that passion”

“He never complained about being here,” continued Bell, “however, he encouraged us to have a life outside of theatre, other passions.” She deduced that “the reason Jeff was excited to come to work every day was because it was one of his many passions.”

“Funny,” “nonjudgemental,” “energetic,” and so many other words bounce around in my head; as result, it’s impossible to conclude. 800 words, yet I am left almost speechless on what final note to leave readers on. Easily, I could share with you his abundant wit and sense of humor. Possibly, I could end with his empathy; his ability to make students feel safe and comfortable confiding in him. Desperately, I want share Bell’s description of a day with Stolz--all the snacking he did, all the push-pins he destroyed, and the endless stories of his children, whom he loved unconditionally.

But no better words can be left to students than those of Stolz himself. In a final statement, at a point Jeff was uncertain about coming back to campus, he stated, “The students give me energy and enthusiasm, and it's going to be all right."