Obituary

Michael Stanley Shutty of Hastings, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully in Staunton, Virginia on November 19, 2023 at the age of ninety-six. He was born on September 29, 1927 to Aloysius Shutty and Anna (Zeglen) Shutty. He was the youngest of seven children born and raised in Hastings. They were a devout family and attended Saint Bernard Catholic Church. He is survived by his sister Anna Helen Kertis of Northern Cambria and his three children, Michael Shutty Jr., Carol Kim Shutty, and David Gray Shutty. He enjoyed a large extended family and had much family support throughout his life marked by many family reunions at his birth residence on Lanark Road on the outskirts of Hastings. He was on the football team in high school and played the trumpet in the band. He worked hard to contribute to his family’s meager resources and fondly recalled working the projector at the Hastings movie theatre in the early 1940s. He was fascinated with flying and built many model airplanes for kids who could afford them, as he had no money of his own – he was labeled “airplane crazy” by his friends. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and briefly served as a trumpeter until he was accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. Then came flight school where he trained in North American SNJ Texans and Grumman F6F Hellcats. After this training, he was advanced to Grumman AF Guardians, the first anti-submarine warfare aircraft in the Navy. He served as a member of the Topcats (VS-31) and flew off the USS Siboney (CVE-112), participating in NATO exercises in the Mediterranean (1951) and operating in the Atlantic as part of a hunter-killer group during the Cold War (1952-1953). He ended his flight deployments flying Grumman S-2 Trackers in the mid-1950s. After this duty, he was sent to the University of Michigan where he earned a Master’s degree in aeronautical engineering. This led to a series of aircraft-repair billets at Naval Air Stations in Atsugi, Japan and Norfolk, Virginia. He loved the Navy, and he loved flying. He was the admiral’s pilot in his later years and flew numerous Beechcraft until honorably discharged as a Commander in 1975. He enjoyed bowling, golf, and sailing. He lived in Hampton, Virginia, after his retirement, but he particularly enjoyed returning to Hastings. His family members affectionately recall years of spirited poker games at the kitchen table. He loved Polka music and regularly attended local church picnics and festivals. He was easy-going, gregarious, and always had adventure stories to tell. He enjoyed visiting with his sister Anna; they grew up together and enjoyed a special bond. He worked with the family men to keep the old family home in good repair until the house was sold in 2023. In 2019 he moved to Staunton, Virginia, to be closer to Hastings and closer to his children who lived in Virginia and Washington DC. Internment in Saint Bernard Cemetery, Hastings, Pennsylvania, adjacent to his mother and father, is planned for Saturday, April 27th, at 1030 AM. An Honor Guard Ceremony provided by the Hastings VFW Post 1586 is planned for 1100 AM. A Luncheon will be provided at the Hastings VFW at 1200 Noon. Any donations should be to one’s own favorite charity.