LYLE MILLER CUTCHIN

LYLE MILLER CUTCHIN

December 9. 2011

Lyle Miller Cutchin, age 91, passed away on Friday, December 9, 2011, with his children by his side at Shell Point Nursing Pavilion, Shell Point Village, Ft. Myers, FL of complications related to a hip fracture. He was born October 24, 1920 at the family home in Joliet, IL. Lyle was the eighth of eight children of Frank and Mary (Miller) Cutchin. He was educated in the Joliet public school system, graduating at age 16 from Joliet High School. Lyle attended Joliet Jr. College where he met his future wife, Ingeborg E. Rabau. He graduated from Iowa State University in 1941 with a BS Degree in Chemical Engineering.

On August 16, 1941 he married the love of his life, Inge Rabau. After living and working in New York City for The National Starch Corporation; Portsmouth, NH as lead chemist and manager of Armand Hammer's Industrial Alcohol Division; Eliot, ME as owner and operator of Mission Orange Bottling and Distribution Company; Peoria, IL as CEO of Del's Dairy Enterprises, he then moved his family to Caribou, ME early in 1951. He was chief chemist and manager for the construction and startup of a new distillery facility for Old Dominion Manufacturing Company. The distillery was to manufacture industrial alcohol from potatoes, but just as the plant was ready for operation synthetic alcohol was introduced to the market, with costs and prices so low that organic sourced alcohol could not compete. Lyle turned down the opportunity to be transferred to another Old Dominion Manufacturing facility, but rather agreed to decommission the Caribou plant and sell, on commission, the equipment, with the provision that he could use the facility laboratory.

This he did, while at the same time developing a new simplified potato starch manufacturing process. In less than 20 months he completely sold all of the equipment and decommissioned the plant and contracted with The Farmers' Cooperative of St. Agatha, ME to design and build a new potato starch factory building and process line system. Lyle used tanks, piping, controls and driers purchased from the Old Dominion facility to build a prototype process line for the St. Agatha plant. The new facility was one of the smallest in the U.S. but its daily production capacity was the 2nd or 3rd largest in the U.S. His new process quickly became the standard method used throughout the industry.

In 1955 Lyle founded L.M. Cutchin & Co. an engineering and construction firm to service the agriculture, industrial and commercial construction market in Caribou and Aroostook County. The business did so well that in 1956 he was joined by his beloved brother, Leland Cutchin. In early 1958 Lyle purchased The Sheridan Corporation, a small pre-engineered building sales firm which owned the Butler Manufacturing Co. building franchise for the State of Maine. His brother continued to operate the Aroostook County business and Lyle moved The Sheridan Corporation from Lewiston to Waterville, ME which he felt was strategically located to service the pulp and paper industry throughout the State.

Lyle built The Sheridan Corporation into one of the major building contracting firms in northern New England. He was one of the earliest pioneers of the design/build method of construction. The Sheridan Corporation is well known for its engineering prowess and services. He developed unique foundation and slab designs for sites with poor soil conditions. He, along with Butler Manufacturing chief engineer, Neil Montgomery, developed several innovative and cost effective composite structural design solutions for industrial and heavy commercial buildings. Under Lyle's guidance, The Sheridan Corporation offered a complete menu of engineering and construction services ranging from site investigation, comprehensive permitting, site design, structural design, building design and complete build out of projects. He built the company's reputation on quality, competence and above all honesty. His philosophy remains to this day a Sheridan guiding principle.

Lyle was active in several industry and professional organizations, including a long period of service on The National Building Advisory Council for Butler Manufacturing. Lyle retired in 1985 and with his wife, Inge, moved to Captiva Island, FL where they had owned a home and vacationed for many years. They later relocated to Sanibel Island, FL which is where both he and Inge most loved to be. They had a wide circle of island friends whom they dearly enjoyed and loved. They frequently entertained family and friends and were active members of the Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ. Lyle especially enjoyed his boat and fishing for sea trout.

Lyle was predeceased by his wife, Inge, sisters, Ruth Haneline, Rena Morton, Helen Gillette, Lucille Geiss, Geraldine Gomm, Francis Cutchin, brother, Leland Cutchin and great grandson, Brady Cutchin. Lyle is survived by a son, Douglas Cutchin (Marie) of Fairfield, ME, a daughter, Sandra Cutchin of Dover, NH; two grandchildren, Lyle D. Cutchin (Robin) of Cumming, GA and Rena Cutchin Mendel (Scott) of Pepperell, MA; four great grandchildren, Douglas Allen, Alexis Elizabeth and Reynolds Dean Cutchin of Cumming, GA and Jakob Ronald Mendel of Pepperell, MA. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

His son and daughter wish to thank Lyle's many Shell Point Village and Sanibel Island friends and all of those fine staff members from King's Crown Assisted Living Home, The Legacy foundation and Shell Point Nursing Pavilion who were so caring and supportive of their father.

A memorial service and celebration of Lyle's life will be held in the spring, date to be announced.