Alan Glodt

Alan Earl Glodt, 71, of Spearfish and formerly of Gettysburg passed away Thursday, May 29, 2025, at Monument Health, Rapid City, from a tragic motorcycle accident when another driver failed to yield resulting in a collision.    

A memorial service will be 1:30 p.m., Monday, June 9, 2025, at the United Methodist Church, Gettysburg with Pastor Laura Cook presiding. Burial will follow in the Gettysburg Cemetery. Visitation will be one-hour prior to the service at the church. Harley shirts are welcome and would have been encouraged by Al. The family requests contributions be made to the Shriner’s Children Hospital.

Al was born on June 17, 1953, in Gettysburg, South Dakota, to Earl and Marian (Holzwarth) Glodt. He grew up and attended school in Gettysburg where he also met his high school sweetheart and the love of his life, Betty Pitz.  Al and Betty were united in marriage on December 31, 1972, at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Gettysburg. To this union two children were born: Jason and Kari.

After getting married, Al and Betty lived in Webster, SD, for eight years (1973-81) where Al managed the meat department at Willie’s Red Owl grocery. In 1981, they purchased a small grocery store in Wessington Springs, SD, that became Al & Betty’s Jack & Jill. They enjoyed the next nine years working and raising their young family in a community they loved deeply. In 1990, they tragically lost their store, the home they built above it, and all their personal belongings to a fire. Al was a volunteer firefighter and nearly lost his life in the fire. He ran out of oxygen, was unconscious, and saved by fellow firefighters.  

After the fire, Al and Betty moved to Spearfish, SD, and went back to school at Black Hills State University to get their teaching certificates and become international teachers. Al and Betty graduated when they were 39 years old earning their teaching certifications; Betty with a BS in K-12 art/elementary education and Al with a BS in K-12 art and industrial art. During college and for several years after, Al worked as a blackjack dealer at Saloon No. 10 in Deadwood.

In 1999, Al and Betty pulled up the tent stakes again and started the adventure of a lifetime; teaching overseas and seeing the world. They started at Dasman Model School in Kuwait City, Kuwait. They continued at the Tai-Chinese International School in Bangkok, Thailand. Thereafter, they moved to Schultz American School in Alexandria, Egypt. Their final location was working for Saudi Aramco Schools in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia.  Along the way, both Al and Betty receiving their Masters of Education degrees from Buffalo State University, Buffalo, NY. 

Al found his utopia; teaching and traveling the world with his beloved wife Betty, experiencing different people, religions, cultures, traditions, food/drink, and topography. His travels took him to over 110 different countries, many of which they returned to.  

After retirement, Al and Betty bought a second home in The Villages, Florida. They spent half the year in Florida and half back home in Spearfish, enjoying both worlds and the time they were able to spend with friends and family. 

Left to cherish Al’s life are his mother Marian Glodt of Gettysburg, SD; wife Betty “Bets” of Spearfish; children: Jason Alan (Michelle) Glodt of Pierre, SD and Kari Rene Glodt of Rapid City, SD; grandchildren: Carson Earl Glodt, Allison Lee “Little Al” Glodt, and Talan Clark “Tal” Johnson; step-grandchildren: Grant and Audrey Johnson; two sisters: Cheryl (Gary) Jongeling of Watertown, SD, and Karla (Steve) Walker of New Brighton, MN; two brothers: Jeff (Judy) Glodt of Englewood, CO, and Kelly (Sue) Glodt of Pierre, SD; sister-in-law, Judy (Jerry) Toennies, Cresbard, SD, and many nieces and nephews whom he loved dearly.

Al was preceded in death by his father, Earl, on December 27, 2007; brother-in-law, John Pitz; and sister-in-law, Donna Knutson.

To say Al lived life to its fullest is an understatement. His motto was “Make a memory every day; and if you have time-make two!” They were not just words to Al; they were a lifestyle that brought so much joy to him and those fortunate enough to have known him. In addition to traveling the world, Al loved riding his Harley Davidson, hunting, golfing, skiing, sports, family, and friends. He also enjoyed serving his community through many service organizations, most especially the Shriners and Masonic Lodge where he served as the Grand Master for lodges in Webster and Wessington Springs.  He was also a member of the Mystic Brotherhood of the Widows Sons Masonic Bikers Association.  

Al left us with a hundred lifetimes of memories to cherish. He signed his letters “Leaving most unsaid,” which is exactly how he left this world. He left us too soon, but we will all be telling Al stories and making even more memories for the rest of our lives.

Luce Funeral Home of Gettysburg has.  been entrusted with Alan’s arrangements.