Sioux Falls- Rodney Gutzler, 67, died Wednesday, March 19, 2014. A memorial service will begin at 1:30 PM on Monday, March 24, 2014, at the Augustana Chapel of Reconciliation, on Augustana College campus. The family will be present to greet friends in the Morrison Commons, following the memorial service. Rodney Gutzler was born to Elizabeth and Hal Coffman in Hastings, NE on July 21, 1946. When Rod was an infant, his mother was diagnosed with a terminal illness. At 21 months, Rod was adopted by Loren and Virginia Gutzler of Salem, SD. Rod's birth family made a wonderful choice in the Gutzler's; as Rod always said, he was raised in the most loving home. Later in life, Rod was able to re-connect with his birth family, and felt incredibly lucky to be a part of not just one, but two special and loving families. Being raised in a small town provided Rod the opportunity to participate in both football and basketball. He also had the chance to try his hand at acting in school plays. At Huron College, Huron, SD, Rod served as Student Body President. He was proud to say that, during his term in office, he oversaw changing the school mascot from the "Scalpers" to the "Cougars". Rod excelled in tennis and won many tournaments with his aggressive play. After graduation in 1968, Rod moved to Minneapolis, MN, and worked for Honeywell and Control Data. In the mid-seventies, his father suffered a heart attack and Rod moved back to Salem to take over his father's insurance business. Rod was then able to fulfill his childhood dream and run for political office, serving in the South Dakota House of Representatives in 1976 and 1977. Rod worked in sales until 1983, when he found his true calling in video production. He and his wife Bev owned and operated Video Reflections for 15 years, creating event videos, commercials, product demonstration videos, and producing twin-big screen presentations. They sold the business to Bowden Productions in 1998, and Rod became their Director of Video Operations. Rod's creativity presented itself in many areas of his life. He had a great eye for picture composition in both still photography and video. He possessed an inner sense of timing for video editing, producing pieces that hit just the right emotional note, or told the story of a product in the most effective manner. He had a true sense of color, texture, and design, which expressed itself in his impeccable taste in paint, furniture, accessories, and clothing - his own and others! Rod and Bev shared a passion for politics, sports, movies, and family. You would find them most every fall and winter weekend in the bleachers at an Augustana College football or basketball game, cheering on their favorite college athletes. They spent hours reviewing and discussing the most recent movie they had seen. Although he knew very little about livestock, Rod loved watching nieces and nephews show their 4-H animals at the South Dakota State Fair or perform in rodeos. Rod had a clever, witty, and quick sense of humor - sometimes cornie - but never cruel or unkind. Those who knew and loved Rod will miss his observations about life and national events. He recognized and appreciated the good qualities in everyone. He was a generous and giving person, sharing good advice and knowledgeable counsel for someone's personal life, business endeavor, or a political campaign. Forever grateful for having shared his life are his wife Bev, children, and grandchildren.