David M. Schutte

David completed his last watch on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 and is now taking a well deserved rest. He passed away at the age of 70 due to complications from COPD. He was the son of the late Harold and June Schutte; dear brother of Gail L. Schutte and Gregg S. Schutte (Kathy); father of Diana Catherine Weir (Gregory); grandfather of Ethan Harold Weir; and friend to many, especially Sharon Mock.
David was born April 18, 1944 in Portsmouth, Virginia, so he was already in the Navy's backyard. When the family moved to St. Louis in the late 40's he was a typical little boy and then an atypical teenager. He graduated in 1962 from Ritenour High School and tried one year of college at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He realized that college was not for him, so he decided to follow in his father's footsteps and joined the Navy in 1964. He served aboard the USS Intrepid stationed off the coast of Vietnam, Yankee and Delta Station in the Gulf of Tonkin. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1968 with a rank of MM/2C. After he returned to St. Louis he worked at a variety of jobs, but the call of the sea was too strong so he moved to New Orleans, Louisiana and began his career as a Merchant Seaman serving aboard the USNS Capella for a short time and the SS Bellatrix. He sailed in and out of the New Orleans area and survived Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In 1991, the Bellatrix went to sea and was involved in Operation Desert Storm, Desert Shield, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He retired from the Merchant Marines in 2010 with a rank of 3A/E. He took up permanent residence in New Orleans in 1994 until he moved back to St. Louis in 2013 due to poor health.
In his travels he went around the world 3 times..2 times going from east to west and one time going from west to east. In his naval and merchant seaman career he travelled to exotic ports and saw the world that most of us only dream of. Although in his life he sailed some rough seas he always knew that his family was his safe port of call and we are grateful that the last years of his life were with his family and friends in St. Louis. We are going to miss his smile, his humor, his point of view on the world and his laugh. We would like to thank the wonderful staff of RN's, Palliative Care Specialist Vicki Boehmer and all the doctors at Mo. Baptist Hospital who worked hard to make and keep him well. Unfortunately it was not to be. A special thank you to Barbara Schroeder of BJC Home Health. Her visits with David were uplifting, joyous and they had a very positive effect on his life. He truly looked forward to her visits. He was also registered as an organ donor so he is still working to give back to those who need help.
In lieu of flowers, a donation in David's name to The Wounded Warriors or Humane Society of St. Louis, any charity of your choice would be a great way to honor him.