John De Lutio, taxpayer activist

John A. De Lutio, who was once the public voice of worried Ridgefield
taxpayers, died Friday, Nov. 1, at Hartford Hospital. He had suffered a
stroke. Mr. De Lutio lived in Litchfield, where he had moved in 1999
with his wife, Isabel Cantillo De Lutio, after 26 years in Ridgefield.
"He did a lot for people here," said longtime friend Hope Wise. "He did
a lot for seniors. He always fought for what he believed in. He did it
in a gentlemanly fashion. I don't ever remember him raising his voice.
He just was a gentleman through and through."
In the years he lived on Walnut Grove Road Mr. De Lutio was an outspoken
opponent of tax increases and of what he viewed as excessive spending
projects that fell hard upon senior citizens.
He was a founder of the Coalition of Concerned Citizens and at the
height of activism probably attended more meetings of public agencies in
town than anyone who wasn't an elected official. Mr. De Lutio worked
hard to keep town senior citizens aware of local issues and involved in
politics, giving regular political debriefings at meetings of the OWLS
and AARP. Perhaps his most prominent role was in leading efforts that
defeated plans to build a middle school for fifth and sixth graders on
the Ippoliti property off Route 35.
He wrote letters to the editor, taking on the powers that be in a voice
that could be acerbic. "What happened to the huge amounts of monies that
pour in for capital projects?" he wrote in a letter on Parks and
Recreation spending. "That's the sucking sound that you hear when we
taxpayers fork over dough for the likes of a new parking lot, roof
repairs/replacements, playing fields, lockers, etc. etc. etc."
Opposing a town purchase of land in Ridgebury, he wrote: "P.T. Barnum is
alive and well, residing in Ridgefield in drag. Just remember his adage,
'A sucker is born every minute' "
He served on a town committee that worked on tax breaks for senior
citizens, and ran for selectman on the ticket of the maverick
Independent Party.
"His legacy here in Ridgefield is going to be, I believe, that everyone
has the power to change the way things are," Ms. Wise said. "I think he
taught that to the seniors. He taught them to band together and how to
become a strong group...
"I think he'll always be remembered for looking after the underdog," she
said. "And, he never missed a meeting. He was at every meeting there
was. Everyone  will remember Jack, whether they agreed with him or not."
She noted that he'd continued his activism after moving. "When he did
move to Litchfield he got himself on the Board of Finance and found that
Litchfield had no referendum process. So, what did Jack do? He went out
in front the supermarkets, got a petition up, and Litchfield now has a
referendum process."
Mr. De Lutio was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Aug. 1, 1929. He was a U.S.
Navy veteran who served during the Korean War. He was retired from a
career as a salesman in the paper industry.
Besides his wife he is survived by two sons, John A. De Lutio of
Ridgefield and Jeffrey J. De Lutio of Danbury, a daughter, Mary Potter
of Bethlehem, a sister and three grandsons.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Thursday, Nov. 7,
 at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Litchfield, with burial in
Bethlehem Cemetery, Bethlehem.
Ms. Wise said that 15 or 20 Ridgefielders planned to car pool to
Litchfield to visit Mrs. De Lutio during calling hours Wednesday night.
"We've got people who really want to show respect," she said, "and let
her know that he meant a lot to people here."