Stan Eitzen

Stan Eitzen, 82, passed away July 3, 2017, at Asbury Park in Newton. Stan was born Aug. 4, 1934, in Glendale, California, to David D. and Amanda (Heidebrecht) Eitzen.
Stan graduated from Bethel College with a history major. While at Bethel he played football, basketball and track, held several jobs and was involved in many college organizations. Throughout his life, Stan was an avid supporter of Bethel and its culture of caring for the less fortunate and working for peace.

Two days after graduation, he married Florine (Voran) and together they moved to Topeka and then Galva, where Stan taught high school and coached football, basketball and track. He earned an M.S. in Social Science from Emporia State in 1962.

Deciding after all that he was a scholar, he attended the University of Kansas, earning a second Master's and Ph.D. in Sociology. After teaching at KU for six years, he accepted a position at Colorado State University. While he loved his CSU Rams, he forever remained an enthusiastic fan of KU basketball.

Stan taught at CSU for 21 years. His research interests were the sociology of sport, political sociology, family, criminology, social inequality and social problems. He published numerous articles and textbooks, served as editor of the Social Science Journal, the journal of the Western Social Science Association and served as President of the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport.

Stan enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Colorado where he took up his hobbies of wood carving, painting and the occasional golf game. In 2005, Stan and Florine returned to their roots in Newton where they had college friends from Bethel and many relatives.

Stan is survived by Florine, his wife of 61 years; his brother, Abe; sons, Keith (Dawn) and Mike (Kris); daughter, Kelly (Scott); and six grandchildren: Christopher, Nicole, Jake (Alise), Zach, Cooper and Max.

Memorial service for Stan will be 3 p.m. Monday (July 17, 2017) at the Bethel College Mennonite Church in North Newton. Memorial donations may be given to Mennonite Disaster Service (583 Airport Road, Lititz, PA 17543) or the Bethel College Track and Turf Project (Bethel College Development Office, 300 E. 27th St., North Newton, KS 67117).