That lovable but infuriating John McNutt leaves a huge hole |
For those who knew him well, John McNutt could be your best friend or a giant pain.
And my heart broke on Saturday when I learned that we would never spar again. Not because he pushed me to think more deeply about other people, but because of the level of caring he brought to everything he touched.
Last time we talked, he had slumped into his chair at the Junior Achievement office, exhausted from caring for his wife Sheryl. He hadn’t slept well in weeks and he looked like it.
Yet, he had come into work since it served as a type of therapy for him. A calm in the storm of late-stage dementia that awaited him at home.
He talked about how much a recent documentary about stress on caregivers had inspired him to reach out for help.
And he still found a way to flash his boyish smile at age 76.
Like many people, John found his way into my life via a variety of his projects. An ally on the Peterborough Poverty Reduction Network and a nemesis during Paul Ayotte’s second mayoral race.
To rally the troops, John had encouraged them to ignore the other candidate’s endorsement in Peterborough This Week, calling our newspaper “fish wrap.”
Others were appalled; I recognized his actions for what they were.
Shortly afterward, I wrote him an email entitled: Peace? Asked when he was buying me lunch to bridge the rift. Within seconds, we were both over it. After all, we had a community to support without investing energy in a grudge match.
What many people didn’t see was John’s capacity to lift up those who often got left behind. During his decades as a Rotarian, he learned that programs that served women — particularly those on their own — had more impact, no matter what nation they lived in.
That inspired him to start a project that promoted downtown Peterborough restaurants on Musicfest nights — staffed by single mothers. That brought many of them back into the workforce and launched new careers.
He also believed deeply in the capability of people with less vision, mobility or hearing than the average person. No one found it more amusing than John when he landed in a wheelchair years after volunteering with the Peterborough Council for Persons with Disabilities.
“Finally,” he joked, “I’m fully qualified!”
Within that organization, he discovered what made people thrive and supported them all the way. As an employer, he also mentored students who struggled to find meaningful work. Again, he had a knack to see potential and nurse it until they blossomed.
Over the years, I saw him become a father figure to countless employees, volunteers and others who spent time with him.
Yes, he could be hard-nosed to get those with power to deliver to those who were still rising. Underneath, he was a softy who knew when to stop and listen deeply to what people needed.
He was a force of nature who related well to those who also pushed for equity and equality. Somehow, he always found a creative solution for problems. It takes a special mind to celebrate business success stories as an avenue to raise money for the next generation of entrepreneurs.
This year’s Junior Achievement dinners will not the be same without John’s presence at the podium. He usually talked too long since he cared too much.
Too much to take care of his own health. To be the last one to leave the office on Friday.
His last words lined up help for Sheryl. Caring for others right up until the end.