Farewells

C. Edward “Ed” Buchwald, 88, died peacefully at home on September 1, 2026. He was the McBride Professor of Geology and Environmental Studies, working at Carleton from 1967 through his retirement in 2002. Ed also served as the College Naturalist and Director of the Cowling Arboretum for many years, as well as on the MN Environmental Quality Board and the MN Environmental Education Advisory Board. He is remembered as a “wonderful teacher” and esteemed scholar. Ed was known for his love of model trains, the boy scouts, and the natural world. He will be missed.

Ed is survived by his beloved wife, Cynnie, daughter Julie, sons Charles (Silvana) and Adam (Nancy), grandchildren Kayla, Theo, and Max, great grandchildren Jaxon and Estelle, and dachshunds Jake and Lucy.

To learn more about his life and his gifts to Carleton, we invite you to read his obituary.

James F. Fisher, John W. Nason Professor of Asian Studies and Anthropology, Emeritus, passed away August 6th, 2026. He was 86.

Teaching from 1971 until 2009, Jim was a “great scholar and a delightful renaissance man” and someone who “embodied the ideal of a teacher-scholar.” Colleagues remembered him as “kind, polite, and wonderfully maverick in the breadth of his intellectual and extracurricular activities,” as well as for having an “infectious smile” and how his “international adventures…resulted in fascinating stories that he delighted in swapping with both old and new friends.”

We invite you to read his full obituary below. We are grateful for Jim’s life and the legacy he has left Carleton. He will be deeply missed.

Michael D. Christopherson, 71, passed away peacefully on August 9, 2026. He served Carleton faithfully for 40 years, working in dining services and supporting generations of students. Michael retired in 2010.

Mike was loved by everyone he met. Most weekends he could be found at the local pub, enjoying a cold root beer and trying his remarkable luck at pull tabs. Everyone who met Mike enjoyed his sense of humor and love of the Minnesota Vikings. A true fan he was, no matter what the season turned out to be. Mike spoke of many memories of growing up, causing ruckus with his siblings, and fishing with his Dad up North. He will be missed. To learn more about Mike’s life, we invite you to explore his obituary.

Beverly Nesler Grossman passed away on March 11, 2026 at the age of 93. She served as a Carleton Trustee from 1997 to 2002, as well as a devoted member on boards of the Minnesota Orchestra, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Walker Art Center, Children’s Theatre Company, and Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minnesota Parent Child+ Program. She was appreciated for her strategic thinking, kind heart, and generosity. Beverly was delighted to serve as a mentor to many among her volunteer ranks. It has often been said that to know Beverly was to love Beverly, a dear and thoughtful friend to so many. She had a way of making everyone she met feel special.

We invite you to read her full obituary.

Jody Lynn Ulrich, age 56, passed away at her home on Sunday, June 21, 2026. Jody worked in dining services during Carleton’s Sodexo era and had a passion for cooking. Her talent for making spectacular meals was a staple among her family; they always looked forward to Jody’s hash brown omelet breakfasts and the countless family holiday traditions where Jody eagerly entertained and fed them. We invite you to read her full obituary. Jody will be missed.

A celebration of Jody’s life will be held from 4-8PM on Sunday, June 28th, 2026, at the Bierman, Benson, & Langehough Funeral Home of Northfield. A prayer service for Jody’s family will be held at 6PM.

Jodi Grundhoefer, 58, passed away surrounded by her family on Monday, April 27, 2026. Jodi served as a Bon Appetit cook in the LDC since 2017.

Jodi’s presence will be missed by many. She will be remembered by coworkers for the way she would light up a room with her unmistakable laughter, her kindness, and her beautiful smile. Jodi hated to see anyone struggle. She worried about everyone else before herself and was always the first to lend a hand.  She was a true friend who could have you laughing until you cried, lifting you up when you were down.  She also made the pizzas, the biggest and fluffiest ever served at Carleton.

Jodi’s life will be honored at the Church of St. Dominic in Northfield. Visitation will be from 3-7 PM, Tuesday, May 5, at Bierman, Benson & Langehough Funeral Home in Northfield and will continue one hour prior to mass at the church. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery in Northfield following mass. A reception will follow interment at Northfield Golf Club. More information is available here.

Daniel (Dan) Stadler, 82, passed away on April 23, 2026. He served Carleton in many roles from 1982 to 2012, including Director of Housekeeping, Director of Custodial Services, Project Manager in Facilities, and Project Maintenance Manager. According to his obituary, Dan was “in his happy place as project manager overseeing repair of various houses on the campus and interacting with the faculty, staff and students. He was their “go-to” guy if they really needed something done.”

Dan was also featured as part of an oral history project through the Carleton archives in 2017.

A visitation in celebration of Dan’s life will be held from 3-7 PM, Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at Bierman, Benson & Langehough Funeral Home in Northfield.

Sandra M (Skluzacek) Tuma, born January 18, 1955, passed away March 16, 2026 after a hard fought battle against cancer. She served faithfully in food services between 1998-2020.

Preceded in death by her father Rudolph, she is survived by her mother Arlene of Lonsdale, her son Chad (Julie), daughter Amber (Chris) Gehrke and son Dustin (Leanna) and grandchildren and great grandchildren. She is also survived by sisters Sharon (Ken) and Laure (Mike) and brothers Lyle (Sandi), Brian (Angie), Bruce (Lisa) and Eric (Bobbie). She enjoyed many games of bingo and was a master of euchre. She was an excellent cook and enjoyed spending time with her family and many friends. Sandra’s celebration of life will be held April 6 from 2-5pm at the Lonsdale American Legion.

James Albert Ellefson, 64, passed away on March 2nd, 2026. James worked a variety of positions at Carleton, including security and maintenance for nearly twenty years. He was a dedicated and proud husband, father, and grandfather and a source of dependability, support, and strength to his entire family. After working at Carleton, he became the owner and operator of Cannon Valley Rental and Dakota Car Wash.

A celebration of James’ life will be held from 1-4pm on March 14 at the Bierman, Benson, and Langehough Funeral Home. James will be laid to rest at the Highview Christiania Cemetery near Farmington and will be dearly missed. More information about James can be found through his obituary.

Dale E. Quist passed away on January 17, 2026 at his home in Crosslake, MN. He was 92. Between 1970 and 1979, he served at various times as coaches of Carleton’s football, baseball, and basketball teams, as well as the Assistant Professor of Physical Education for Men. Dale was a star athlete at Northfield High School and the University of Minnesota in the 1950s. In addition to coaching at Carleton, he served as the head football coach at Shattuck and was inducted into the Northfield High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Dale and Betty built a home on Circle Lake and he had a successful business career in Northfield and Dundas. To learn more about Dale’s life and plans for a memorial service, please explore his obituary.