High Flight, my name is Fred Schutt of Aspers, PA and I have departed this earth on Friday, October 21, 2022 at age 87 to be with my God and Savior and my loving and forgiving wife, Barbara. I was born Oliver Frederick Schutt, Jr. on September 9, 1935 in Gettysburg, PA, son of the late Oliver Frederick and Jessie Pearle (Shealer) Schutt. As you can see, I have written my own obituary as all of my family is now gone. My wife of 54 years, Barbara Joan (Sadler) Schutt predeceased me on October 26, 2017. She always encouraged me, helped me, and never left me down. Over the past years without her, I miss her more and more and love her so much. Gettysburg has been my home all of my life except for our retirement years in Texas. The reason for the title “High Flight” is I had flown my airplane to Kerrville, Texas for a Mooney Aircraft convention on October, 1989. I had earlier broken my Barbara’s heart and shattered our marriage. In January, 1990 she and I decided to visit Kerrville and when we arrived back home a few weeks later, we had a new certificate of marriage, new wedding ring son our fingers, and a 5 acre ranchette reserved. In June, 1990 we were Texans. God, Jesus, and my Barbara had not given up on me. We had our second chance of a wonderful life together. I knew my Barbara all through grade school and the first time we talked flying was when we were at the bus terminal in Baltimore waiting to come home from a trip with our mothers for shopping and a show. We were 13 at the time and I had purchased a flying magazine to look at. We both graduated from Gettysburg High School in 1953. We both went our separate ways in life. But we both found each other later and started our life together in 1963. I guess I talked too much about flying because one day in 1966, she called me at work and said “When you get off, go out to the airport, you have a flying lesson”. That started my experiences and a love for flight. God has been good to me all of my life with jobs and health. I’ve worked in super markets, truck driving and in 1962, I began a 27 year career with the United States Post Office as a letter carrier. With my wife’s help, I took the test and became a Battlefield Guide in 1970. She had become the first woman guide in 1968 and now we were the first man and wife guides. History repeats itself, my grandfather, Martin C. Shealer, was one of the first guides from 1915 to 1922. I also owned the Gettysburg Cycle Center for 10 years as a bicycle dealer and motorcycle inspection station. My hobby of motorcycling gave me the opportunity of testing motorcycle tires for Harley-Davidson when we moved to Texas and also delivering aircraft for customers. Then a got a position with QVC, the television shopping channel as a customer rep. and later training new employees. Barbara became manager and post-mistress of historic Camp Verde, the site of the pre-civil war US Army camel experiment. Barbara and I said many times that our 12 years in Texas were some of the best years of our life. We had got our life back together with a new marriage. My last jobs returning to Pennsylvania were tool department manager at Lowes and I drove a school van transporting students for Jacoby Transportation for 11 years. I served in the Pennsylvania National Guard and U.S. Army Reserves for 8 years and was an advisor for Explorer Scout Post #79. My motorcycle hobby gave me tours through 48 states, Mexico, Canada, two trips to England and 8 European countries. As an accomplished pilot, I earned my private, commercial and ground instructors tickets. I was a member of the Gettysburg Elks, BMW M/C Owners, AMA, Mooney Pilot Aircraft Owners and Experimental Pilots. I was predeceased by my brother, Wayne in 1958, my son-in-law, Howard Worden in 1991 and my grandson, Justin Redding in 2008. I am survived by my half-brother, Jeffrey Goddard of Poulsboro, Washington and my adopted daughter, Suzette Schutt Redding of Gettysburg. I was a member of St. James Lutheran Church in Gettysburg. Memorial Contributions can be made to a favorite charity or St. James Lutheran Church, 109 York St., Gettysburg, PA 17325. Following cremation, a private graveside service will be held at Evergreen Cemetery with Ben Leese, officiating. Well, that’s about it, my Barbara is looking down on me. When I finish my Final High Flight, she is going to say, “Where have you been? I’ve been waiting for you” and I’ll say, “Here I am, I flew as fast as I could”.
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds,-and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of-wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark nor ever eagle flew-
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.”
By John Gillespie Magee, Jr. 1941
Online tributes and condolences can be made at monahanfuneralhome.com.