John Noel Lutes

John Noel Lutes, age 86, of Clemmons, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on November 12, 2025 surrounded by his loving family.

He is survived by his devoted wife of sixty-one years, Mary Diane (née Snyder); his daughter, Laurie Finn (David); and two sons, William Lutes and Michael Lutes (Tammy). John was a proud and cherished grandfather to Tyler Finn, Matthew Finn, Kevin Finn, and Lindsey Lutes. He is also survived by his sister, Joyce (Lutes) Ruckman, and was preceded in death by his parents, Willis and Lillian (McBrayer) Lutes, his sister Jeanne MacManus, and his brother William Lutes.

Born in Akron, Ohio on December 16, 1938, John was known for his diligence and kindness from an early age. He graduated from Seiberling East High School and went on to earn a degree in Business from the University of Akron. Shortly thereafter, he served in the U.S. Army Reserve.

John met the love of his life, Diane, on a blind date. The two were married on August 8, 1964, at St. Sebastian Church in Akron, Ohio, beginning a lifetime of devotion and partnership. Over the years, their family made homes in the Cleveland/Akron area, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and eventually Clemmons, North Carolina.

John began his career as a retail store auditor for Seiberling Rubber Company before joining ESB, Inc., where he advanced to become Director of Marketing for the automotive battery division. He later joined Douglas Battery, holding a variety of sales and marketing positions, and continued as Sales Manager after East Penn acquired Douglas’s automotive division—until his well-deserved retirement.

In retirement, John found great joy in giving back to his community. For more than ten years, he volunteered as a Patient Care Volunteer on the cardiac floor at Forsyth Medical Center and at the SECU Family House, offering comfort and compassion to patients and families in need.

John’s greatest happiness came from time spent with his family—especially supporting and cheering on his grandchildren at their many school and sporting events. He and Diane shared a love of traveling and entertaining, filling their home with laughter and warmth. John’s robust faith was nurtured as member of Holy Family Catholic Church for over forty years.

John will be remembered most for his strong belief in God, kindness, generosity, and deep love for his family. We looked forward to our annual birthday phone call; as he always called and sang “Happy Birthday,” a tradition that will be dearly missed. To those who knew him, John was a loyal friend, a devoted husband and father, and a truly thoughtful soul. He will be missed beyond measure and remembered always with love.

The family will receive friends from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm Monday, November 17, 2025, at Hayworth-Miller Kinderton Chapel- 108 E Kinderton Way, Advance, NC 27006. A memorial mass will be held at 11:00 AM Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at Holy Family Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to SECU Family House, 1970 Baldwin Lane, Winston-Salem, NC 27103 or online at https://www.familyhousews.org/donate/.