Couple for nearly 70 years dies 36 hours apart

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Couple for nearly 70 years dies 36 hours apart
Barbara and Ludwig Kuttner were united in marriage and community service for nearly 70 years. (Courtesy photo)
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By Wafir Salih | wsalih@alextimes.com

Ludwig Kuttner, a devoted former United States Marine and government executive, and Barbara Kuttner, an experienced former PTA president and bookbinder, died within 36 hours of each other on June 12 and June 13 in Alexandria. He was 89 and she was 87.

After moving to Alexandria in 2019, both became active members of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Ludwig contributed as a lector and a member of the social justice committee, while both had a long history of being integral members of church communities over the years, including Blessed Sacrament Parish in Washington, D.C. and Our Lady of the Mountains in Sierra Vista, Ariz.

Their son, Nick Kuttner, who also lives in Alexandria, reflected on his parents’ enduring relationship.

“Their devotion to each other was complete, unquestionable and unchanging for [almost] 70 years, and that was quite something to see,” Nick said.

Their daughter, Elizabeth Kuttner, also emphasized how much her parents loved one another.

“They just were really enamored with each other,” Elizabeth said.

Ludwig was born in Rome, Italy, on Dec. 8, 1934. His family were German refugees of Jewish descent, although he was born and raised Catholic.

In 1940, Ludwig’s family narrowly escaped Nazi-occupied Europe by sea and arrived in Washington, D.C. on the famous SS Quanza, which was a ship that transported mostly Jewish refugees.

“[My father’s] family was fortunate that his father had already had a job offer from Catholic University of America in [Washington] D.C.,” Nick said. “Those who did not have jobs already in the United States – this was in 1940 – they were turned away. And I think the majority of people on that ship ended up back in Europe, and most of them, I don’t think, lived much longer after that.”

Barbara was born in Tuckahoe, N.Y., on July 6, 1936. She attended Ursuline School and graduated from the College of New Rochelle. Ludwig attended Gonzaga College High School in the District and graduated from Holy Cross College in Massachusetts, where he was a Navy ROTC scholar.

The Kuttners met at a mixer while in college and their relationship quickly developed.

“They met at a party … and went on their first date a week or two later and never stopped seeing each other,” Nick said. “[They] were engaged to be married before that school year was out.”

The Kuttners tied the knot in 1957, shortly after Ludwig graduated from Holy Cross and went into the Marine Corps where he served as a second lieutenant. After four years on active duty and another two in the reserves, he transitioned to civilian life to focus on his family.

“He really loved being in the Marine Corps, but he also really loved my mom and wanted to be there to raise us kids,” Elizabeth said.

Ludwig built a substantial career in the private sector specializing in information technology sales, where he worked at companies like IBM and General Electric. He also secured a position in the public sector at the Internal Revenue Service in 1975 where he primarily worked until his retirement in 1995.

Nick said his father instilled in him and his siblings a duty of service.

“What he taught us was the value of service, the importance of personal integrity as one takes on important leadership roles within the community at large,” Nick said.

Barbara served as the president for the PTA for several schools her children attended. Nick said that she served as president during a crucial time for race relations.

“She was an extremely active and effective PTA president at a difficult time in some of the [Washington,] D.C. public schools where we went. There had been, not that long before, integration and busing and it caused a lot of realignment on school systems and demographics,” Nick said. “She was widely recognized within the school system at the time for helping make that happen at Alice Deal Jr. High in Washington, [D.C.] and Woodrow Wilson High School.”

Barbara also began a bookbinding business after receiving training from the Library of Congress. She specialized in creating tailored bindings and restoring vintage books back to life.

“The part of her that loved to create beautiful things led her to the bookbinding, and she loved books anyway,” Elizabeth said. “She did repairs for, I believe, the Library of Congress, but she also did stuff for our church. People would send her things and she’d deconstruct it and put it back together, and it was always so beautiful. She was very meticulous.”

The Kuttners were deeply embedded in the Arizona community. Barbara served as a trained arbitrator where she judged and resolved cases to avoid trial. She also sat on the foster care review board. Ludwig served on the board of the Arizona Goodwill and volunteered with the Cochise County Sheriff’s Assist Team.

After retiring in Arizona for 24 years, the couple returned to the area in 2019.

Ludwig died on June 12 due to complications from an age-related illness he was diagnosed with in 2023. Barbara, who had also been dealing with age-related health challenges for several years, died within 36 hours of his death.

“They’d been together for almost 70 years, and I know it was hard for her to even think about a life without him, and it turns out, she wasn’t going to live without him,” Nick said.

Elizabeth said her parents viewed marriage as a union that requires continuous work and commitment, and that they fully embodied those principles throughout their lives.

“They believed very strongly that marriage is a combination of love, heart and a little bit of luck, because these are two individuals who aren’t meant to lose that individuality, and love and luck only get you so far. It takes a desire to work to maintain a marriage, and I think they lived that pretty thoroughly and tried to impart that to others,” Elizabeth said.

The couple are survived by their six children – Ann, Stephan (Anya Wayne), Nick (Mysia), Elizabeth (Bobby Nitahara), Jessica (Chris Lefkow) and Anthony (Michele) – 11 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Funeral services were held June 21 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.

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