Earl "Duke" Matthew Stoetzer

Earl M. “Duke” Stoetzer of Dunnellon passed away Feb. 19, 2022, at Cate’s Hospice  House in Ocala.  Duke was born and raised in Wheeling, WV and moved to Miami to attend school and work for the next 35 years. He attended the University of Miami and graduated from Florida International University. In 1991, he retired from Fla. Power & Light and with his wife Betty moved to Dunnellon. He declared this Two-River Town his final home.

Duke Stoetzer was an accomplished writer, poet, storyteller and unofficial historian. He wrote the popular weekly column “Tales of a Two-River Town” for Dunnellon’s Riverland News for more than 15 years. Over the years, he was a speaker and lecturer about the history of Dunnellon area from the Seminole wars to the 1890s Boomtown days. He also taught a series of writing classes for aspiring local writers and founded a Dunnellon Writers Group.

He is survived by his wife of 43 years Betty Belflower Stoetzer; son Gregory Scott Stoetzer (Martha) of Orlando, daughters Vicki Lynn Stoetzer, Ocean Springs, Mississippi; Wendy Lee Savage-Barrow and Angela Kay Mullins, both of Dunnellon; and brother Robert (Toby) Stoetzer of Blowing Rock, N.C. He leaves behind seven adoring grandchildren Wesley, Cheyenne, Cierra, Faith, Seth Levi, Joey and Zoey. Grandchildren predeceasing him are Zane Stoetzer and Kaitlin Mullins Abante.

A celebratory Memorial Service will be at 2:00 PM Saturday, March 5, at Roberts Funeral Home, 19939 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Dunnellon. Visitation with family and friends 1-2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, family requests donations be made to the Greater Dunnellon Historical Society, P.O. Box 1836, Dunnellon FL 34430.