Marion J. Schutte, 85, of Grand Island, passed away Tuesday, December 12 at the Grand Island Veterans Home.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 am, Saturday at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church with The Reverend Martin Egging officiating. Burial will be in the Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery with Military Honors. Visitation will be Friday from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church with a Parish Vigil Rosary at 7 PM.

The family requests memorials to be made to the Grand Island Veterans Home Wood Shop. Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home is entrusted with arrangements. Online condolences and sharing of memories may be directed to www.livson.com.

Marion was born February 7, 1932 at Lawrence, NE to Alois and Helen (Hlavac) Schutte. He graduated from the Lawrence High School in 1950. He attended Hastings College and played football. In 1952 he entered the United States Air Force, serving from July of 1952 to July of 1956.On June 6, 1953 he married Regina Schlick at Deweese, NE.

He returned to Hastings College in 1956 and received his Bachelors of Arts degree. In 1958 he began his teaching and coaching career at Ravenna High School where he taught sciences and coached football and track. In 1964 he received his Masters in Guidance and Counseling from Kearney State College, then moved to Cozad in 1965 and became the guidance counselor at Cozad Senior High. In 1976, the family moved to Grand Island where he became the Director of Guidance and Counseling at Grand Island Senior High until retirement in 1990. He earned his specialist degree in school psychology and taught summer school at Kearney State College for 17 years.

Marion was a 4th degree member of the Knights of Columbus for over 50 years. He served in many different officer roles in both Cozad and Grand Island. He was also a member of the American Legion, Lions Club, Elks Club, Jaycees and the Cozad and Ravenna Volunteer Fire Departments. He was the State President of Guidance and Counseling Association and P.D.K. Marion loved officiating both football and basketball.  He began officiating while attending Hastings College in 1956 and retired in 1985.

He enjoyed fishing, hunting, and gardening. As a resident of the VA Home, he really enjoyed the wood shop and provided projects like plaques to graduating students and wishing wells to family and friends and many other hand-crafted items.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 64 years, Regina "Jeanne"; his 8 children and their spouses, Mike and Carmen of Kansas City; Cindy and Rick Jandrain of Upper Arlington, OH, Terry and Janell of Lincoln, Ann and Dan Purdy of Boelus, Brian and Debra of East Lansing, MI, Robert and Wanda of Grand Island, Fran and Tom Westfall of Lincoln and Michelle Buss and Mark McKenzie of Irvine, CA.

Other survivors include his brothers and their wives, Donald and Karen of Kearney, Howard and Dee of Hastings, and Raymond of Hastings; sisters and their husbands, Ellen and Richard Kistler of Aurora, Marilyn and Gene Svoboda of Lawrence, Carolyn Kitten of Hastings and Sharon and Ron Willmes of Roseland; 16 grandchildren, Nathan, Amber, Richard, Jessica, Elizabeth, Ben, Jessica, Jake, Jeff, Patrick, Rachel, Charles, Kaitlin, Tessa, TJ and Abby; 23 great grandchildren; 3 sisters-in-law, Marie, Mary and Willa; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Francis, Edward, Alois and Paul.