Wolfram Jon Stumpf

Wolfram Jon “Wolf” Stumpf, 81, of Lakewood, Colorado, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on Thursday, July 2, 2026, at CommonSpirit St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, Colorado.

Wolf was born on July 13, 1944, in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of the late Wolfram Carl and Freda (Ruetenik) Stumpf. A child of boundless energy and intelligence, he grew up in Painesville, Ohio, where he developed a lifelong fascination with firearms and airplanes—including the legendary P-38 Lightning, which he hid from his parents in their barn. He shared a deep love of the family’s dogs and ponies with his two older sisters, creating memories that reflected both his adventurous spirit and his devotion to those closest to him.

After graduating from Riverside High School, Wolf answered the call to serve his country in the United States Army. Following a tour in Laos in support of the Vietnam War, he was assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas, where he used his free time to obtain his private pilot’s license. During his assignment, he served as a Military Police Officer, assisting with the in-processing of new recruits until the completion of his military service. He was honorably discharged at the rank of Specialist 5 (E-5), having faithfully fulfilled his obligation to the nation.

In the next chapter of Wolf’s journey, it would take him and his family to Colorado where he would step into design engineering, contributing his knowledge and skills to companies like Lockheed Martin and Apogee Robotics. He was known for his work in hydraulic fracking, the design of the pushback/tow bars for large commercial aircraft and a pioneer in the use of automated robotic carts in correctional facilities, just to name a few.

Beyond engineering and aviation, Wolf pursued his passions for gold prospecting, attending gun and camera shows any given weekend, and even owning a fully capable Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (M.A.S.H.) unit along with several military vehicles, that he would set up at air shows though out the 80’s and 90’s where his kids would mingle with pilots and get themselves into all kinds of trouble. He also designed and manufactured a high-capacity gold riffle sluice box in his home garage that was featured in several gold prospecting shows.

Wolf was known by many, and everyone seemed to have a story to share about him—if he didn’t tell one about them first.

He is survived by his loving wife Beverly, with whom he shared 34 years of marriage with; his two children, Jeffery and Wolfram (Rebecca); his grandson Dakota and his granddaughter Alaina (Calvin). He is also survived by his second wife, Ernestine, his step-son Vincent (Gloria), and his oldest sister Marlene. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Susan, his middle sister Audry, and his step-son William.

Wolf will be laid to rest at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado on Thursday October 1, 2026 at 1:30pm. Attending family and friends are asked to go to Staging area White by 12:45pm.