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John George Luttrell, 81, died peacefully at his home in Darien, Conn., on Tuesday, May 25, 2010, surrounded by his family. Beloved husband of Thelma, devoted father of John, Denise and Steven, and loving grandfather of Angela, Robyn, Cameron, Jake and Ryan. Survived by all, he will be missed by all. Preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Elsie Luttrell, his siblings, Howard, Charles, Alfred, Herbert, Mildred, Florence, and Marian, he is survived by his sister, Lorene.
Amidst the hardship of the Great Depression, John was born into a poor family with nine children in rural Christian County, Mo. Later, his family moved to the small town of Leon, Kan., where John grew up. An accomplished student-athlete in high school, John accepted an unsolicited offer of financial assistance by the town doctor and his wife, Harry and Dorothy Last, so he could enroll at the University of Kansas (“KU”). During college, John demonstrated a native facility for high mathematics, but also enjoyed collegiate life as president of his social fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha.
John had a long and distinguished career with Mobil Oil Corporation. He began as a rig worker in between his sophomore and junior years at KU, and joined the company’s exploration and production division in 1952 after completing a bachelor of science degree in petroleum engineering, where he earned high honors. Across 37 years with Mobil, beginning in Venezuela, he rose to become the youngest managing director in the history of the company, running Mobil operations first in Libya, then Nigeria and then Mobil North Sea, based in London. At the time of his retirement, he was vice president of Mobil worldwide exploration and producing, based in New York.
Known for his fairness and generosity, he was a private family man who nonetheless touched the lives of many in a positive way. During his later years, he developed an interest in theoretical physics and spent countless hours studying vanguard theories in quantum mechanics. Many mornings, he could be seen walking his rat terrier, Chelsea, and later Dunster, in Selleck’s Woods in Darien. For more than 50 years, John loved his wife and family, his friends, and, of course, the KU Jayhawk’s basketball team.
The family received friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 1, at Lawrence Funeral Home, 2119 Post Rd., Darien. A service was held at St. Thomas More Church, 374 Middlesex Rd., Darien, on Wednesday, June 2, at 10:30 a.m. Burial followed at Spring Grove Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of John Luttrell to the Dr. Harry Last Memorial Scholarship, KU Endowment Association, P.O. Box 928, Lawrence, KS 66044. Established by John in 1985, each year the scholarship affords exceptional high school students from the counties surrounding Leon, Kan., the opportunity to attend the University of Kansas.
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