Jeffrey Lutz

Jeffrey A. "Duke" Lutz Age 55 of White Bear Lake Son, Brother, Nephew, Uncle and Friend Jeff was born in St. Paul on June 17, 1961, the son of Diana (nee Hansen) and Alfred Lutz. He attended grade school at St. Rose of Lima and then attended St. Thomas Academy. While in high school, he was a highly skilled baseball and hockey player. He continued to play hockey and baseball into his adult years and was a player/coach with many teams, most recently, the Vulcans Hockey Team. His place in Birchwood is adjacent to the city’s ice rink which he built into one of the best outdoor rinks to skate on in the Twin Cities. He loved being at the rink informally coaching neighborhood kids on how to play hockey. His place could be described as “the original man cave on steroids” On his wall hung many jerseys that he wore throughout the years from junior hockey to senior hockey. Many of these have the number “13” which he considered his lucky number. Jeff was a very hard worker and worked in construction for many years. His construction career took him to Baltimore, Maryland where he made numerous friends through work and hockey. He introduced those friends to the game of cribbage and many of them still play today because of him. In the last few years, he found his calling by working with elderly people either in their homes or at nursing homes. He played cribbage with them and truly made their days brighter with his personality. Outside of sports and work, Jeff loved to go fishing. He had a boat and an ice house so he was able to fish during any season. He was often seen on White Bear Lake, Lindstrom Lake, and School Section Lake on the Lutz family homestead. He was a history buff and particularly enjoyed researching the Civil War. In recent years, he was working on getting a photograph he owned to be displayed in a museum in England. The photo was a very old photograph of soldiers resting in camp during the Crimean War. Jeff was “One of a kind.” He was an outgoing person and a loyal friend. Loyal he was, however as his friends know so well, he didn’t hesitate to tell you how he felt if he disagreed with something you said or did. He was generous and understanding. A friend wrote in a note to him, “As a freshman, you were always so good to me! You always made me feel a part of the hockey team and one of the guys. Never hesitated to give me a ride to practice or ask how I was doing when seeing me in the halls at school.” Friends from his grade school and high school years remain his friends today, and he is still very involved with his friends from Baltimore. He loved his sister, Barb, and he shared a lot with his brother-in-law, Mike, especially the love of professional sports. He was proud to be an uncle to Mike, Rachel and Sam. He took Sam fishing on their last trip to Minnesota from Georgia this summer. Jeff was demanding on Barb and Tom in their childhood years, using them as the catcher for his pitching practice. He didn’t go easy on them with the speed and strength of his pitching. Tom says his hands were usually raw following practice. He wanted Tom to join him in his love of team sports, but Tom’s abilities were elsewhere and Jeff eventually was very proud of Tom placing 1st in the state gymnastics. He was very close to his dad who he missed terribly. His love for his mom was always there and became deeper and more connected over the last year and a half of his illness. Jeff made sure that he and his mom did their weekly lunch date at King City Buffet, which they both loved. Jeff spent his last days in the home of his mother. During that time he was under the care of his mother, his Auntie Annette, and Health East Hospice. He continued to go to Monday night hockey games until it was no longer possible. During this time, he was visited by groups of friends from St. Rose of Lima grade school, friends from St. Thomas Academy, and a friend from Baltimore. He was so grateful for these visits. As well as visits from aunts and cousins and close long-term buddies, John Skarda and Bob Lutz. Reluctantly, he agreed to be transferred to Pillars Hospice on July 19th to administer comfort measures that were not possible at home. He passed away peacefully at the Pillars Hospice on July 20th with is mother, his auntie and Tom by his side. He is preceded in death by his grandparents; and his father, Alfred Lutz. He will be dearly missed by his mom, Diana Lutz; his sister, Barbara (Michael) Buschman of Loganville, GA; his brother, Thomas “Tom” Lutz of River Falls, WI; his aunts, “Auntie Annette” Short, Loretta Johnson, Shirley Lutz, and Lorna Lutz; his godmother, Kathleen Johnson; his nieces and nephews, Michael “Mike” Bennewitz-Lutz, and Rachael Buschman, Sam Buschman; and many cousins, and other family and friends. The family will be forever grateful for the wonderful and loving care he received from Health East Hospice. There will be a gathering for friends and family from 3:00-7:00 PM on Friday, July 29, 2016 at Mueller Memorial, 4738 Bald Eagle Ave., White Bear Lake with a sharing of memories at 7:00 PM. There will be a second visitation one hour prior to the 11:00 AM Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday, July 30, 2016 at St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church, 4741 Bald Eagle Ave., White Bear Lake. Private, family interment at St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery in Hugo.