Jean Elizabeth Tlustos, 67, of Sioux Falls, died Friday, May 18, 2018, at Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls.

Memorial services will be held at 8 p.m., Thursday, May 24, at Bittner Funeral Chapel in Mitchell. Burial will be at a later date. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m., Thursday, before the service at the Chapel. 

Jean Elizabeth Tlustos was born Jan. 10, 1951, to Curtis Abel and Mary Josephine (Morse) Talley in Brookings. She grew up in Forestburg, and graduated from Forestburg High School in 1969. She attended the University of South Dakota from 1969 to 1973, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in English. While at USD, she was a member of the Alpha Phi Sorority and was president of the Young Republican’s Club. 

She lived in North Ft. Myers, Fla., from 1973-76, where she started her teaching career. She taught in Billings, Mont., from 1976-1984, before moving to Sioux Falls in 1984. 

On Aug. 7, 1980, Jean married Michael Tlustos in Waseca, Minn.

Jean taught in Sioux Falls from 1984 until her retirement in 2012. She had a lifelong love of teaching and was an advocate of learning. She desired to touch people’s lives in a positive way and made everyone she welcomed to her home feel like part of the family. 

In their retirement, Jean and Mike enjoyed wintering in Arizona and entertaining friends.

Jean is survived by her husband, Michael Tlustos of Sioux Falls; son, Samuel (Haley) Tlustos of Cottage Grove, Minn.; brothers, Curtis (Laurel) Talley of Mitchell, and Paul Talley of Northfield, Minn.; sister, Patricia Talley of Sioux Falls; mother-in-law, Joyce Tlustos of Sioux Falls; godsons, Andrew and Joseph Batt of Sioux Falls; and many students over the years. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, and her father-in-law, Harlan Tlustos.

Any memorial donations will be contributed to the Whittier Middle School Wolverine Club.