J. Philip Gutermuth

Phil Gutermuth, 75, of Naples, FL and Boonton Township, NJ, died tragically on Wednesday, November 5, 2014 in a car accident on his way to one of the places he most enjoyed, the golf course. He was born August 7, 1939 in Ft. Wayne, IN, the son of Clarence and Helen Gutermuth. Phil Gutermuth was passionate about many things in his life: his family, his God, and his golf were always at the top of the list. He loved all of the people that he had the chance to meet and work with during his 42 years with Nabisco, the only company he ever worked for. He was actively involved in his Florida community, St. Maarten of Pelican Bay, where he served on the board for a number of years. He loved his “Fighting Irish” of Notre Dame, and was always the “best dressed” in any room that he entered. He enjoyed nature’s beauty, especially his flower gardens and those incredible Naples, FL, sunsets. He was a consummate people person who made everyone he touched feel like they mattered and were special. He was always in charge! His family was his most treasured priority, and the foundation was the loving relationship he had with his wife Judy. They were married for 53 of his 75 years, but were best friends for over 7 decades. Phil fell in love with Judy before he ever made it to high school and the two of them have been inseparable ever since. Phil and Judy had three children; Matt, Amy, and Angie, and are so very proud of the adults they have become. Phil was a compassionate man, with an uncanny ability to deliver the hard truth in a very loving and sincere way. He was truly the “rock” of the family. Phil had a tremendous Catholic faith that guided how he lived every day of his life. He had a spirit of quiet generosity that impacted everyone he came in contact with regardless of how well you knew him. He would give his time, attention, and gifts to those closest to him, or complete strangers if he felt it would help. Phil was never a “Sunday Catholic”; he lived every day the way the Lord has asked us to. “Do to others” was not a tag line, it was how he lived each and every day of his life. One of his greatest passions was golf. His love started as a caddy at Foster Park in Ft. Wayne, IN and this love of golf burned bright for his entire life. He used golf in his professional life to create relationships that extended far beyond the bargaining table in the business world. He created the longest running event on the LPGA tour, the Nabisco Dinah Shore (now referred to as the Kraft Nabisco Championship) and through this event raised millions of dollars for people in need. He was a member of Rockaway River Country Club in Denville, NJ for over 30 years and was a member of Quail West in Naples, FL. He loved golf and what the game stands for – honesty, competition, and camaraderie. He was a man of many nicknames: JP the Planner, the King, the Bird, and Mr. GQ to name a few. He was a master at orchestrating the perfect event, and never missed the smallest detail. His event planning included large business functions, such as his annual customer event in Palm Springs, CA (Nabisco Dinah Shore), social gatherings such as the annual golf trip with his beloved “Myrtle Beach Bums”, to special family events from weddings to creating the perfect way to deliver that special gift. Phil knew how to throw a party, and everyone wanted to be there when he did. Phil is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Judy Gutermuth; his beloved children, Matt Gutermuth of Houston, TX, and his fiancée Nicole, Matt’s 2 girls, Taylor and Madison and their mother Sharon of Richmond, VA; Amy Lorber of Mountain Lakes, NJ, her husband Jeff and their three boys, Phillip, Collin, and Alex; Angie Gutermuth of Hoboken, NJ; and his sister, Nan Lahrman of Ft. Wayne, IN. The viewing will be held on Sunday, November 16th from 2-5pm and 6-9pm at Codey and Mackey Funeral Home in Boonton, NJ. A funeral mass will be held on Monday, November 17th at 10:30am at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Boonton, NJ followed by a celebration of his life at Rockaway River Country Club in Denville, NJ. A memorial service will be held at a later date at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Naples, FL and will be announced in the near future. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the Chris Dincuff Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation of New Jersey, PO Box 338, Morristown, New Jersey 07963-0338. Chris was Phil’s future son-in-law who perished on September 11th.

J. Philip Gutermuth

August 7, 1939 - November 5, 2014