Obituary of John L. Schutt

John L. Schutt, 80, of Ashville, NY died on the night of Tuesday, September 26, 2017 at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh after a brief illness. He was born in 1937 in Buffalo, NY, the son of the late Ceylon and Jessie Losey Schutt, and lived in Western New York for most of his life. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by a sister, Phyllis Sanders. Surviving are three nephews, Michael, Richard and Patrick Sanders. John served in the US Army from 1960 to 1962 as a transportation specialist. Following an honorable discharge, he returned to Jamestown where he worked in the construction industry as a heavy equipment operator and welder. In 1967, John was awarded the Carnegie Hero Medal for his actions in saving a co-worker during the construction of the Kinzua Dam. On March 26, 1967, John dove into the icy cold waters and rescued a co-worker who had fallen into the river. In the 1970's, John and Bob Davidson co-owned Ashville Bay Marina, where John served as the chief mechanic and ran all operations. After selling the marina, he started John Schutt Enterprises, a small-business for towing based out of Ashville, NY. He retired from the towing business in 2016 but remained active welding and operating heavy equipment. John was an avid outdoorsman who loved to fish and hunt. As per his wishes, there will be no services or visitation. John's remains will be placed next to his sister and parents in Sunset Cemetery.