Obituary: Joseph Anthony Rutlin, 91

Information Guilford Funeral Home

On Sunday, October 9th, 2016, Joseph Anthony Rutlin, longtime resident of Guilford and Madison, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, at the Connecticut Hospice in Branford.

He was 91 years old.

Joe was born on December 17th, 1924, in Brooklyn, NY, and served in the U.S. Navy as a Seabee where he took part in the invasion of Okinawa in 1945. A talented athlete, he returned to play baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers team but injury cut short his career. He went on to earn a B.A. from the Catholic University of America and an M.A. in English Literature from New York University.

Joe became a beloved teacher of English at both the Guilford High School and the Middle School, where he taught for 30 years, establishing the Advanced Placement program and serving on the Guilford Education Association. Generations of students have thanked him for inspiring a joyous love of literature and teaching excellence in writing. When he wasn’t teaching or reading,

Joe was most likely to be found somewhere on the greens (or at the nineteenth hole) of the Clinton Country Club, where he was a member for over 50 years.

His friends and family often benefitted from his beautiful carpentry work, and his community benefitted from his service on the board and as President of the VNA Community Healthcare in Guilford.Joe is survived by his wife of 30 years, Patricia White Rutlin, his brother Anthony Rutigliano, and his stepchildren: Jamie Endriss of Englewood, CO; Kimberly Farrington of Wheat Ridge, CO; and Jeffrey Bruce of Short Hills, NJ; and their respective families. He was predeceased by his sister, Christine.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 12th, at 2:00pm at the First Congregational Church United Church of Christ on the green in Guilford; burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the Connecticut Hospice, 100 Double Beach Rd, Branford CT 06405, or the VNA Community Healthcare, 753 Boston Post Rd, Guilford CT 06437.

To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of Mr. Joseph Anthony Rutlin, please visit our Tribute Store.