Nathaniel J. Kutzman

Nathaniel John Kutzman, Jr. (aka “John,” “Nat,” “Oz” and “Kuter”) died at home Sunday morning of natural causes. He was 78.

Nat was born to Nathaniel and Ariella Kutzman in Miles City, MT in 1938. The family moved to Bozeman in 1943. Nat graduated from Gallatin County High School in 1956. He then attended Montana State College where he majored in Chemical Engineering, was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, and participated in the ROTC program. He was an active member of the ROTC drill team. He was also a passionate skier and was one of the early members of the Ski Patrol at Bridger Bowl.

Shortly after he graduated, Nat was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force. While posted to RAF Fairford, he met and fell in love with his future wife Joan, who was at Fairford as a Fulbright Exchange Teacher. They were married in 1964 in Omaha, Nebraska, honeymooned in Europe, and then transferred to Zaragoza Air Base, Spain, where their son John was born. They returned to Omaha and two years later their daughter Lise was born. Postings to Biloxi, MS; Seoul, Korea, Washington, DC; Boston, MA, and Rapid City, SD followed.

Nat’s work for the Air Force included helping with the procurement of the Boeing E-4 National Emergency Airborne Command Post used to evacuate the President and key government officials in times of emergency. He did similar work on the Boeing E-3 AWACs early-warning aircraft.

But Nat was proudest of his affiliation with the Strategic Air Command’s “Looking Glass” mission. These airplanes were an important part of America’s deterrence of potential aggression during the Cold War. Each plane carried a senior general officer and could send launch commands to ground-based nuclear missiles if such retaliation ever became necessary. From 1961 to 1990 at least one of these aircraft was in the air at all times, around the clock. Nat did this work at Offutt AFB in Omaha from 1966 to 1970 and again at Ellsworth AFB in Rapid City from 1979 to 1982.

Nat retired from the Air Force in the summer of 1982 with the rank of Major. He and the family moved to Bozeman where he went into retail sales. In his free time he continued to ski at Bridger Bowl, where he proudly served as a Bridger Host.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his wife Joan. He is survived by his sister Ann of Bozeman, his brother James of Columbia Falls, his brother Jere of Whitefish, his son John (Jean Faure) of Great Falls, his daughter Lise (Jeff) Pinkham of Idaho Falls, and two grandsons, Ben and Luke Pinkham.

A Public Visitation for Nathaniel will begin at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, July 14th at Dahl Funeral & Cremation Tribute Center. A Knights of Columbus Rosary will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by a Vigil Service starting at 6:00 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be held 10:00 a.m. Saturday, July 15th at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Bozeman, MT. A Graveside Committal Service will be held following the Funeral Mass at Sunset Hills Cemetery. Memorials may be made in Nathaniel’s name to Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter at 1549 E. Cameron Bridge Rd., Bozeman, MT 59718.