Sadly taken too soon, John passed peacefully on Friday, January 14, 2022, overcome by an illness he bore with grace and dignity. He will be missed by all, but particularly by his children Jessie and Tom (Julia), their mother Margot Haldenby, brother Ted, sister-in-law Darla Hesse, and dear friend Cate Cochran. John was born in Trinidad, the son of Edward and Jessie Lute. He was the youngest of three brothers; Jim, who predeceased him in 2020, and Ted of Bracebridge. After Trinidad, the family returned to Canada and settled in Sudbury. When John's father died in 1963, Jessie and her three boys moved to Toronto. John graduated from Lawrence Park Collegiate in 1972, playing for their championship football team in his graduating year. He then studied Journalism at Carleton University, graduating in 1976. After graduate work in History at Queen's, John embarked on a journalism career with the Financial Times, but he soon changed course. Always a skilled communicator with an extraordinary capacity to connect with others, John moved into the field of corporate communications, eventually establishing his own successful firm, Lute & Company. In that capacity, he advised many prominent Canadian and international firms, often on complex contested transactions. A man of many parts, John was much more than his professional life. He was a skilled carpenter and even turned himself into a master tailor, creating bespoke costumes for Jessie and Tom every Hallowe'en. He was perhaps happiest playing the role of a Scottish laird at his farm, Aberdeen, in South Grey County, where his faithful dog Jack was always at his side. His annual summer lunch on the lawn of Aberdeen was a highlight for his friends. John had a deep knowledge of history, film, music, and contemporary culture. Conversation with him was like drinking a fine champagne; it sparkled and uplifted you. That gift never left him. Even in the final stages of his illness, John's intelligence, wit, and sense of humour continued to entertain his legion of friends and family. The family plans to hold a celebration of John's life once Covid restrictions are lifted. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation to the Sheila Bird Scholarship in Journalism at Carleton University.