Florin Richard Lutz Obituary (1936

January 29, 1936 - December 15, 2015 Richard Lutz died December 15, succumbing to acute myeloid leukemia. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Leta Barnwell Lutz; his daughter, Lisa Lutz; and his grandson, Kyle Lutz. He was preceded in death three years ago by his son, Timothy Lutz. A dairyman in the Oakdale area for more than half a century, Richard was committed to the community and to the interests of agriculture. He served on the Oakdale Irrigation District board for 25 years, during which time he travelled twice on OID business to Washington, DC, lunching on one occasion at the White House. He was a founding trustee of the Oak Valley Hospital Foundation and also served as president of the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce. Dairy and agricultural organizations that Richard was active in include California Young Farmers, Western United Dairyman, California Farm Bureau, California Milk Producers, California Milk Advisory Board, and the Dairy Employers Association. Richard learned the dairy business as a child from his father, who started Claribel Livestock Company in 1943. Richard was a paid employee at age 13, and at 16 he was driving a 30-foot semi cattle truck. At 19, he became responsible for shipping heifers to Hawaii from San Francisco and told family and friends many stories about those rough trips, during which heifers became seasick and a number of them calved. One mission was saved after an equipment failure when tough-talking sailors pitched in and built pens for the newborn calves, helped milk the cows, and even bottle-fed the babies. Richard was an active dairyman until 2002, when he sold his livestock. He farmed another two years, entering full retirement at age 69 and ultimately selling Claribel Livestock Company in 2012. Despite the demands of a dairy, Richard found some time to pursue his many interests, including flying, trap shooting, golf, and bowling. He was a charter member of the Oakdale Golf and Country Club until his death. Richard was born to Florin Lutz and Elinor Elizabeth Lamb in South Gate, CA. He graduated from Oakdale High School, class of 1954, Modesto Junior College and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Survivors include Richard's sister, Virginia Suggs, and brother, James Lutz, both of Oakdale; sisters-in-law Barbara Pierrou (George) and Diana Barnwell. He also leaves several cherished nieces and nephews. Richard will be greatly missed by family and friends, who have always known him to be a warm, kind, generous and grounded man, a man who enjoyed making others laugh with his unexpected quips in difficult situations. His family called him their "rock." Visitation will be Monday, December 28, from 3 to 7 p.m., at Oakdale Memorial Chapel, 830 West F St. Private burial will be at Oakdale Citizens Cemetery. A Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, December 29, at 11 a.m., at the Bianchi Community Center, 110 South Second Ave., Oakdale. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Community Sharing, P.O. Box 1160, Oakdale; to Oakdale Shelter Pet Alliance, P. O. Box 1965, Oakdale; or to a favorite charity. Visitation When: Monday, December 28, 2015 3:00pm - 7:00pm Location: Oakdale Memorial Chapel Address: 830 West F Street OAKDALE,CA 95361 Service When: Tuesday, December 29, 2015 11:00am Location: Gene Bianchi Community Center Address: 110 S 2nd Ave OAKDALE,CA 95361 Notes: Celebration of Life