James L. Dutt. Memorial services for James L. Dutt, 77, of Charlotte, N.C., formerly of Arlington Heights and Chicago, will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday November 23, at St. Michael’s Church, 1633 N. Cleveland Avenue, Chicago. A separate memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 21, at Weddington Methodist Church, 13901 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC. Private internment at a later date will be at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, Elwood, IL. Born February 11, 1925, in Topeka, Kansas, Mr. Dutt passed away October 28, at his home in Charlotte. Mr. Dutt was a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force during World War II. He was a Curn Laude graduate of Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas, with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration, and received a Masters of Business Administration from University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio. He received an Honorary Doctorate from Washburn University and was a member of Mensa. Mr. Dutt began his career with Beatrice Foods in 1947 in Topeka, Kansas, and held a number of domestic and international positions within the company before becoming President and Chief Operating Officer in 1977 and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 1979. Mr. Dutt was Principal and Co-founder of an international consulting firm, Stratxx, Ltd. from 1986 to present operating first in Chicago and then Charlotte when he moved to that area in 1992. As Principal of Stratxx, Mr. Dutt provided various counseling and facilitating services and assignments. During the process of a strategic consulting project for McDermott International, New Orleans, LA, in 1998, Mr. Dutt was appointed Acting Chairman of the Board for that company. Mr. Dutt formerly served on the boards of various Chicago companies and organizations including GATX Corporation, Illinois Bell Telephone Co., The Chicago Art Institute, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. A long-time member of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, he was also a former member of the boards of NCR Corporation, Dayton, OH and Manulife Insurance Company, Toronto, Canada. Mr. Dutt was an active member of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and supported many charitable organizations in Charlotte, Chicago and around the world. While world affairs captured his interest, he was a mentor, advisor and source of guidance to many both professionally and personally. He is survived by his brothers Charles (Dorothy) Dutt of Plano, TX, Wendell Dutt of Tacoma, WA, John Dutt (Nedele) of Topeka, KS; his aunt Mildred Chausse of Albuquerque, NM; his children Joan Dutt of Barrington, RI, Nancy (Paul) Veatch of Barrington, IL, Thomas Dutt of Arlington Heights, IL; and his grandchildren Erica Cerjanec of Barrington, RI and Matthew, Sarah and Kathryn Veatch of Barrington, IL. He will be greatly missed by his partner and family friend Kathleen Kallman and her daughter, Erin Kallman and his constant companions, his two shelties, Cinnamon and Tinkerbelle. He was preceded in death by his parents Orville and Vivian Dutt. Gifts in his memory may be made to the James L. Dutt Memorial Fund at Washburn University estabished for the purpose of supporting worldwide educational efforts and international studies. Please direct donations to Washburn Endowment Association, 1700 College Avenue, Topeka, KS 66621.
