Friends, colleagues remember Joe Lutey

Joe Lutey with Crystal Cady after being interviewed at the
GIE Media Horticulture Group Podcast Booth at Cultivate'14. Editor's Note: This article was originally published Jan. 23 and was updated Jan. 28 and Feb. 2 with more information. 

Many in the green industry are mourning the loss of Joseph "Joe" Lutey, 32, of Grand Blanc, Mich., who passed away Jan. 21 and was a retail manager at Wojo's Greenhouse and a friend to many.

Joe Wojciechowski, owner of Wojo's Greenhouse, described Lutey as an "awesome person."

"He will be missed by all of us. He was kind, considerate, he loved to laugh and make others laugh," Wojciechowski wrote in an email. "He was playful and loved to interact with children who came into the garden center. He had an eye for detail and loved plants."

Wojciechowski said Lutey was "destined to accomplish even greater things."

"Joe was a great employee, he understood much about all aspects of the business and how each part affected another part of the business. He got it," he wrote. "Joe was very involved here at Wojo's and took on many projects along with his responsibilities of tree and shrub buyer, hardgood buyer and nursery manager. He also spent his time at industry events volunteering and helping where he could. Joe had a passion for the plants as well and he had extensive knowledge of them to share with our guests and his fellow employees."

As many who knew him will attest, Lutey had a "likable" personality and could connect quickly with people, Wojciechowski says. 

"He was kind hearted. He never did anything to offend another. He loved to learn and share his knowledge."

The GIE Media Horticulture Group sends our sincere condolences to his family. Lutey is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and son, Aiden. His obituary and an online guestbook can be found here. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made for the future education of Aiden. Wojciechowski says for those who would like to donate, please make checks out to Jennifer Lutey and send to:

Wojo’s Greenhouse
2570 Oakwood rd.
Ortonville, Mi. 48462
Attn: Jennifer Lutey

Lutey was generous with his time, and shared his knowledge with Garden Center magazine editors. He spoke about one of his favorite hydrangeas in this article, and shared his thoughts from the Cultivate'14 trade show in this podcast. 

Two of Lutey's industry friends and industry colleagues, Crystal Cady and Maria Zampini, shared remembrances, included below:

Crystal Cady: Whenever I get asked what is it I love most about this industry, it’s always the same answer – the plants and the people. I have spent over half my life in this industry, and although I have met so many incredible folks along the way – I will never forget one of the most amazing young men who we were so fortunate to have as a fellow horticulture lover – even if his time was cut way to short. That man is Joe Lutey.

Joe touched the lives of every single person he met – be it his genuine care for others, the knowledge he shared, or his smile and his hugs - he was one of those guys that immediately became your friend, and you knew you could trust and lean on him – for whatever it may be – from sharing retail garden center ideas and strategies, to his opinion on something going on in your own life.

Although young, Joe had accomplished so much in his horticulture career, and we all looked up to him as a visionary, a leader, and someone we knew was destined to do great things. No matter how many articles he wrote or contributed to, awards he was up for or earned, and how much praise and recognition he received he was always so humble and modest about it – a quality that is hard to come by. He always felt someone else deserved the opportunity over him. Joe has left a lasting impression on all of us, and his mark in the horticulture industry. I know as time goes on we will never forget Joe, or take for granted the contributions he made to this great industry. In fact, if anything, the loss of Joe may just be that little bit of extra drive pushing each one of us to do something a little more for our industry – and plant that one extra hydrangea in our garden to honor and remember him.

Maria Zampini: I know there are others in the green industry who knew Joe Lutey better than I, and their life was no doubt enriched by having that special relationship with him. I still count myself lucky to have called Joe a friend and to have had such a forward thinking industry colleague. Every time I saw him, he had a smile and hug for me along with kind and supportive words, and that alone was priceless. I always looked forward to our encounters at trade shows, however brief, and was glad we could otherwise stay in touch via social media. I think no matter how well you did or didn’t know him, his untimely death at such a young age meant you couldn’t help but be affected in some way upon hearing the news of his passing. Joe was a next generation shining star whose bright radiance will be sorely missed but whose memory will not fade away. It will simply live in the hearts of those who were priviledged enough to have walked along the same path of life during his too short span on earth.