Donnie Lynn Cutler Sr. | Eastern NC Now

    Donnie L. Cutler Sr., of the Free Union Church Road community passed away on Wednesday February 23, 2022.

    Donnie was born on June 9th, 1950, to James and Mary Cutler in the Terra Ceia community of Pantego. He attended and graduated from Pantego High School.

    After school he tried out several paths in life from handcrafting custom wood furniture to working with his older brother on the farm. He eventually settled into a job with Applied Industrial Technologies from which he had recently retired after a long and enjoyable career.

    Over the years he enjoyed a life filled with family and many friends in the Free Union community, where he was called Uncle Donnie by several generations of those that grew up in the area. He had a sparkling wit -always with a joke on tap- and was the life of any gathering he attended.

    He also loved the many trips and vacation that he took to the island of Ocracoke and the mountains of Virginia. He enjoyed many great weekends on the Pungo river with friends in the Schram's Beach community telling tall-tales and making everyone laugh at his numerous jokes. He also had talents that stretched from quilting to baking in which he made many wedding cakes in his life and gifts of quilts for family members. All those that spent time at his house remember the great meals and food that he always had ready for whomever was hungry.

    Donnie also attended just about every East Carolina home football game for about a fifteen-year period where he had a regular tailgate crew of which he enjoyed spending time. Even when not attending games he managed to spend time with these friends on a regular basis in several Washington establishments. Everybody at the tailgates can still taste the delicious cakes that he would bring out to the games.

    He is preceded in death by his parents as well as his brother Langley Lee "Pete" Cutler and sister Delores Cutler Langley. His surviving siblings are James Marshall Cutler, Lola "Tinker" Boyd, Mary Elizabeth Latham, Tommy Cutler and a sister-in-law Eldean Mitchell.

    Donnie is survived by two sons Donnie Cutler Jr. and Jonah Cole Cutler, as well as his daughter in laws Catharine Cutler and Cortney Cutler. He had two grandchildren Isaiah Holloway and Madalyn Cutler. In his later years he became very close to his neighbor Amanda Toler, who was there for him in times of need as well as providing many days of laughter and joy.

    There will be a visitation with the family on Saturday March the 5th starting at 3:00 pm at Joseph B. Paul Funeral Service located at 4500 US Hwy 264 East, in Washington NC.