John A. Lutz

ENGLEWOOD, Fla. - John A. Lutz, devoted family man and community servant, died, at 64.
It is with profound grief that we share that our beloved John passed away, on July 24, 2024, after a three-month battle against Acute Myeloid Leukemia. He was surrounded by his loving wife, Holly Nelson Lutz; and four daughters, Meredith Lutz Olsen (Aaron), Brittany Lutz Harris (Colin), Aislinne Lutz, and Elleanor Lutz.
Born in 1959, John grew up in Roxbury, N.Y., with his late parents, Jack and Kay Lutz; and brother, Samuel. He embarked upon a lifetime of community service. While in high school and college, he served on the ambulance squad for the Roxbury Fire Department. His love of the outdoors, tenacity, and selflessness earned him Eagle Scout and Order of the Arrow, and later brought him to the Ski Patrol at Plattekill Mountain. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Chemistry at SUNY Oneonta, in 1980, and spent his early career at Bassett Medical Center, in Cooperstown, N.Y., where he formed lifelong friendships. While completing his Masters in Public Health, at Yale Business School, in 1984, he met his soulmate, Holly. Married in 1985, they shared 39 years of love, family and travel together.
John spent his entire career advocating for patient care as a healthcare leader. He joined Albany Associates in Cardiology, in 1989, and became CEO thereafter. He was instrumental in growing the practice, and bringing professional management and leadership. In 1997, he was a major driver in the formation of Prime Care Physicians, and was CEO, until his transition to consulting on the national level, in 2006.
As a healthcare consultant, John was a true leader who cared deeply about people. He possessed an unmatched combination of healthcare acumen, unwavering determination to meet the client's expectations, and a genuine desire to help everyone. His consulting success was anchored by his passion for the people and organizations he worked with. When you worked with John, you knew you were going to have a great result, and enjoy getting there.
Upon his return to the Capital Region in 2020, John joined CDPHP, as Executive VP of Integrated Delivery Services, where he led Healthcare Network Strategy. He was a driving force in the strategy and execution of the CDPHP affiliation with Community Care Physicians. As retirement neared, John felt called to continue his pursuit of the betterment of healthcare delivery in Fla., as a candidate for the Sarasota County Hospital Board, for which he was actively campaigning at the time of his illness. In all his roles, John was known as a wise strategist, a tireless and happy warrior in execution, and a loyal servant to the organizations he led.
John was also an altruistic and steadfast member of his communities. For years, he was a volunteer firefighter at the Elsmere Fire Department, in Bethlehem. He was also a lifelong music enthusiast, and in addition to supporting the Albany and Sarasota symphony orchestras, together with Holly, John taught his daughters to appreciate his wide-ranging musical tastes, from The Beach Boys, Chicago, and Boston to Hans Zimmer, John Williams and the Vince Guaraldi Trio. He was a faithful lector at St. Thomas Catholic Church, in Delmar. John often went out of his way to visit the Jericho Drive-In, primarily for their giant ice cream cones.
In Glenmont, John and Holly raised their family on a small horse farm, where he was vital to the day-to-day operations. On top of his commitment to his career and community, he was an ever-present cheerleader for his four treasured daughters. His love and support was unwavering in all their endeavors, throughout their time at Bethlehem Central Schools, their collegiate years and every day since. For his daughters, he set the standard for everything a person should be, simply by walking through the world with high expectations of himself, a rock-solid sense of right and wrong, a contagious laugh and a personal warmth that drew people to him.
John is survived by "his girls;" as well as his brother, Samuel (Suzanne); and his adored nephews, Sean, Kevin, Connor and Gabriel Lutz. He cherished his first grandchild, Arthur "Archie" Olsen, and enthusiastically embraced his newest role as "Papa." John was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, and loved cycling, skiing, hiking and boating. In retirement, he was looking forward to spending his hard-won quality time with Holly, in their golf community home, in Englewood, Fla., and traveling the world to see his family and friends.
The family would like to thank all the physicians, nurses, caregivers and staff at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Mass., for their dedicated care and support. The family is planning a memorial gathering in celebration of John's life over the weekend of October 5-6, 2024 in the Albany, N.Y. area.