Obituary: James Lee Stuhlman, 75, of Madison & Clinton

James Lee Stuhlman, 75, died March 22, 2022, at his home in Madison. “Jim” was born Aug. 31, 1946, in Dayton, Ohio to Dr. Byron C. Stuhlman of Dayton and Margaret Williams Stuhlman of Mandan, ND and Des Moines, IA. He was preceded in death by his daughter Gretchen and is survived by his wife Linda Stuhlman, née Negangard, of Milan, IN, whom he married June 25, 1977, in Branford; brother Byron and wife Hester; sons, Luther and wife Stephanie, and
Bradley and wife Guillermina; and grandsons, Connor, Jack and Luke.

Mr. Stuhlman was a graduate of Oakwood High School in Dayton, Ohio; Trinity College, in Hartford, where he played basketball and baseball and studied History; and Wesleyan University in Middletown, where he earned a master’s degree. He taught History at Woodstock Academy in Woodstock, and Daniel Hand High School in Madison, before buying the Red Barn Children’s Center in Clinton, in 1979 with his wife Linda. Jim and Linda ran the Red Barn for 37 years before selling it in May of 2015. Over the span of three and a half decades they developed the property and
shaped the Red Barn’s renowned educational programs while raising their two sons.

A longtime Madison and Clinton educator and coach, he and his wife Linda, ran Red Barn Children’s Center in Clinton for 37 years.

In addition to his career as an educator, Jim shared his passion for sports with multiple generations from the Connecticut shoreline. In the 1970s he coached basketball and football at Daniel Hand in Madison. After having children and moving to Clinton, Jim was the assistant and JV Coach for the Morgan High School Boys Basketball Team for several successful seasons. He also served at various times as the President of the Touchdown Club youth football program, the announcer for Morgan Huskies home football games, an umpire for little league, and as an assistant coach for the Morgan Boys Lacrosse Team. Jim’s former players remember him as a tough but good humored and fair coach.

Jim shared a close and loving relationship with, and is survived by, his sister-in-law
Karen Pietrzyk, née Negangard, and her husband Stan Pietrzyk, residents of Madison, and their children, Jana and Ben with whom he enjoyed watching sports and barbecuing in the backyard.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Clinton Education Foundation,
P.O. Box 684 Clinton, CT 06413; Friends of Morgan Football, 38 Old Post Rd, Madison, CT, 06443, PayPal friendsofmorganfb@gmail.com; or the Madison Athletic Hall of Fame in care of Ken Conlon, 62 Rolling Meadow Rd., Madison CT, 06443.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate the life of Jim and Linda Stuhlman at the
Clinton Country Club (128 Old Post Rd, Clinton, CT 06413) on May 28th, 2022 between the hours of 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM.