Community rallies in support of family after father killed by stray bullet

Word of the horrific news spread quickly: East Northport resident Paul Kutz had been killed by a stray bullet at a Courtyard Marriot hotel in Poughkeepsie, New York on October 2, the victim of a random act of violence. The hotel was near the Marist College campus, where Paul was visiting with his youngest son during the school’s family weekend events.

One week later, friends and relatives gathered at a public mass at St. Anthony’s of Padua to mourn the loss of the dedicated husband and father, cherished neighbor, former Larkfield Little League coach, accountant and active community member. It wasn't long after his untimely death that those who knew and loved him best – or were simply moved by his life story – sprang into action to support Paul’s family in the face of unbelievable grief.

A GoFundMe, organized by Phil Talamo, was established in Paul’s honor, to help fund the college educations of the three Kutz boys, Matt, Ryan and Sean – all Northport High School graduates. In addition to his sons, Paul is survived by his wife Nathalie (Landrein), his father Boleslaus and brothers John, Andrew and Thomas and their families, as well as his in-laws William and Monique Holden, Roger and Kathleen Landrein and their families.

Phil Talamo described his friend Paul as a “kind, gentle, compassionate man who was taken from all of us too soon.” The outpouring of community support has helped sustain the family amidst such tragedy. “The offers to help the Kutz family have been heartfelt and a source of love and comfort during an unimaginable time,” Phil wrote.

Just one example of the community rallying in the face of such tragic circumstances to support the Kutz family occurred last weekend, when the Northport Cow Harbor United Soccer Club (NCHUSC) collected a little over $3,700 from people in attendance of the club’s Columbus Cup Tournament. The 50/50 fundraising raffle is an annual tradition, each year the club making a donation to a local charity. With the Kutz tragedy on everyone’s mind, club officials said, “this was clearly the most important thing that needed attention.” The raffle winner, who chose to remain anonymous, yielded the full value of their winnings back to the cause, “an act of kindness and altruism” that was overwhelmingly appreciated, said officials on the NCHUSC Facebook page. The club then added an additional contribution to round up to $5,000, which was donated to the GoFundMe yesterday morning.

As of Friday, October 14, the GoFundMe was just $8,000 shy of reaching its $100,000 goal. Anyone wishing to donate can do so here.