Should have been 61

"Death is a part of life." I suppose it's true, but that doesn't mean it doesn't stink to high heaven.

LUTTRELL, Joe Carlton—age 60 of Brentwood. Died Tuesday afternoon, December 18, in Monterrey, Mexico. Born February 23, 1947, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Joe was the son of Gladys Carlton Luttrell, who predeceased him, and Joseph Woodrow Luttrell of Nashville. Joe is survived by his wife, Wanda G. Webb; his sisters, Lisa Luttrell (Gayle) Crowe of Cane Ridge, Tennessee, and Patsy Luttrell, of Watertown, Wisconsin; a nephew, Darren (Elisa) Crowe of Woodland Hills, California; a niece, Lauren (Cliff) Cunningham, of Madison, Wisconsin; and two great-nieces, Claire and Sara Sue. A graduate of Wheaton Central High School in Wheaton, Illinois, and Lipscomb University in Nashville, Joe was a pilot for American Airlines, completing 30 years and retiring in 2004 as a captain on the Boeing 777's international routes. For the past year he has flown for NetJets, a fractional ownership aviation corporation based in Ohio, and was on assignment in Mexico when he died suddenly. Through the years, Joe was part-owner of a number of businesses, mostly aviation-related, including Corporate Air Fleet of Nashville, Nashville Jet Center, Riverside National Bank near DFW Airport, and Lone Star PropJets. He loved hunting and fishing, especially on the Caney Fork River, and spending time with his two dogs. He and Wanda explored the world together, visiting sites on almost every continent. One of his greatest pleasures in life was acting as mentor to young pilots and others who needed a helping hand. Joe was friend to young and old alike, whether stranger or close relative.

The family requests that memorial donations be made through SunTrust Bank to the Joe C. Luttrell Memorial Fund for Aviation Education to provide scholarships and other assistance for young aviation professionals.