Dr. Delynn W. Stults

RICHMOND, IN– Dr. Delynn W. Stults, lifelong area resident and retired local dentist, died in his home on November 26, 2025, in the presence of his loving family.
He was born on August 20, 1950, to parents Darryl and Lois Ann Pope Stults in Winchester, Indiana and attended Union Township Schools in Modoc before the incorporation of Northeastern Wayne Schools in Fountain City. Always a diligent and responsible child, he was involved in 4-H, baseball, drama club, marching band, and other activities before going on to become his class valedictorian. After graduating from Northeastern High School in 1968, he traveled to Europe, playing trumpet with the American Youth Band and Chorus as they gave concerts and toured various sites (until a case of appendicitis led to an unexpected surgery in England).
Delynn went on to study at Indiana University in Bloomington, where he also continued playing trumpet with the Marching Hundred. But his greatest joy during this season of life came from marrying his beloved high school sweetheart, Diana Harris, on New Years's Day in 1972. Following his graduation from Indiana University School of Dentistry in 1975, Delynn served as a captain in the U.S. Army at Fort Knox, Kentucky before returning to the Richmond area to set up his dental practice, which he operated for more than 40 years. Here, he and Diana raised four children and went on to welcome eight grandchildren, each of whom he cherished deeply.
Above all, Delynn lived a life of unrelenting service and sacrificial love. He was a history buff, avid reader, amateur naturalist, and general polymath – yet always used his knowledge to create points of connection with others rather than to inflate himself. His children can all attest that, whenever a free Sunday afternoon came around, he was quick to load everyone in the car to "see where we end up", which often involved a visit to elderly family members or loved ones' graves. He did international missions in numerous countries around the world, served as a church elder and pianist, distributed Bibles in a multitude of locations as a member of the Gideons, provided dental care for residents at the Richmond State Hospital, and gave generously to others while he himself lived a simple and unadorned life.
Perhaps his greatest act of courageous witness, however, was in facing the profound neurodegenerative effects of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). From the point of his diagnosis and in every subsequent decline, he displayed deep gifts of humility and contentment. And while his body was weakened in a myriad of ways and his communicative abilities faltered, he still maintained a quiet grace and also a quick steel-trap memory that was a true rarity in its depth and breadth.
Delynn was preceded in death by his grandparents and parents; several aunts and uncles; and his brother, Gary Stults.
He is survived by his wife of nearly 54 years, Diana Stults; sister, Linda Stults Szafranski of Venice, Florida; son, Daniel (Nicole) Stults of Richmond; daughters, Dana (Josh) Shelley of Chillicothe, Ohio, Dee Ann (Cliff) Bragg of Wichita, Kansas, and Darla (Brian) Peters of Muncie; grandchildren, Madeline (Hudson) Bouw, Hudson (Annalia) Stults, Clara Peters, Finnian Bragg, Wendy Peters, Noble Shelley, Ronan Bragg, and Merit Shelley; and several nieces and nephews.
The practice he built, Stults Family Dentistry, has carried on under his son and may soon include a grandson (who is currently in his first year at IU Dental School), which is the kind of lasting legacy that he always prayed to leave behind. His faithful endurance in the face of suffering was a lesson in how to live and die as a follower of Christ, and this is the greatest gift his loved ones could ever wish to receive. We rejoice that he is now in the presence of his Savior, where "all sickness, sighing, and sorrow have fled away".
The family would like to thank Pastors Reuben Dunckel of Alliance Bible Church and Rich Hawkins of Christ Presbyterian Church; the staff of Synergy and especially Joe; and the caring and compassionate staff of Reid Health Hospice.
Visitation for Dr. Delynn W. Stults will be from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, December 6, 2025, at Doan & Mills Funeral Home, 790 National Road West, Richmond. Funeral service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, December 6, 2025, at Doan & Mills Funeral Home with Pastor Reuben Dunckel officiating. Burial will follow in Earlham Cemetery.
Remembrances can be made through contributions to The Gideons International, P. O. Box 140800, Nashville TN 37214 as well as to CurePSP, 325 Hudson St. Floor 4, New York, NY 10013 and Reid Health Hospice, 100 Reid Parkway, Richmond, IN 47374.
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing", 2 Timothy 4:7-8
Condolences may be sent to the family via the guest book at www.doanmillsfuneralhome.com.