Larry Tutt did not work a typical job. He got out of bed at 5 a.m. every morning to go to his job near the intersection of K and 15th Streets in Washington, D.C. Tutt would set up his chair on the pavement and say “Good morning!” to onlookers as adjacent attorneys and lobbyists hurried to their posh offices in the center of the city.
He just requested a grin in exchange.
His niece, Shernita Tutt, told CNA that it didn’t matter whether you were the president of the United States or just camping across the street in a tent.
“He wished for everyone to uphold the love of God and to stay humble. His goal was to demonstrate it to the whole globe.
He rapidly earned the nickname “The Good Morning Man” and rose to fame. But on July 23, he vanished after more than a decade of being a pillar of the D.C. community.
Unbeknownst to his friends and family, Tutt had liver cancer and ended himself in the hospital.
He nevertheless made an effort to get away so he could resume his job.
He died a few days later, on July 29, at the age of 67.
Locals then inundated his family’s GoFundMe website with recollections in response to their request for funds to cover the expense of his funeral.
Bicyclists recounted deviating from their planned routes merely to hear him yell, “GOOD MORNING, BICYCLE RIDER!” Some remembered him encouraging her on her first day of work, while others remembered his locating her misplaced watch.
According to the Washington Post, Michelle Salvatera, who works at the White House on supply-chain concerns, said on the GoFundMe page, “He made every morning I saw him a little bit happier.”
“Most of the time, we make the most of little things, like a pleasant morning. I’ll miss his whistling and hearing him.
Following a memorial Mass for the D.C. hero on Friday, one week after his passing, the Catholic Information Center (CIC) distributed red whistles as a prompt to pray for Tutt.
The CIC is home to a Catholic bookshop and chapel, the chapel where Tutt formerly attended Mass, and is only a few feet from where Tutt used to sit.
On Friday, he was there once again in the minds of people who loved him. Throughout the large crowd’s attendance at the Mass, Shernita Tutt held onto a golden-framed photograph of her uncle.
Father Joe Ruisanchez described Tutt as having a “wonderful heart” and being a “man of faith” during his homily.
“I can still recall thanking him once for anything. He said, “No, no, no, thank the Lord,” according to Ruisanchez. Thank you, Lord.
Tutt was cited by Ruisanchez as a Christ-like example of turning hardship into good.
He remarked, “I hope that from him—from the positive interaction we had with him—we may at least learn how to transmute any challenges we face in life into something wonderful.
“Jesus Christ acted in this way. He revealed the purest expression of love by giving his life on the cross, transforming his agony into insight. recompense for our transgressions
Other CIC employees had positive memories of Tutt.
According to Rosemary Eldridge, director of communications and special events, “Larry lived well and offered pleasure to others through the simplicity of his existence.”
Following the Mass, a queue of mourners formed to offer their condolences to Tutt’s Washington, D.C.-based family. Some people were crying.
The overall community reaction was “very tremendous,” according to Shernita Tutt.
She described her uncle’s daily trip with her to kindergarten as “his calling.”
She continued, “He selected his location on K Street after a chat with God.”
She stated, “I think he found his own way to be encouraging and remind people about compassion and humanity through his life and through his challenges and tribulations. He had it as his goal.
Tutt, however, furthermore battled with mental health concerns. Despite not having been in the military, as some accounts indicate, he saw what happened to his brother Charles after returning from the Vietnam War.
Shernita Tutt said, “For him to see his brother return home and suffer with the challenges of PTSD was sad.
She proceeded by saying that despite his difficulties, he kept going out, was upbeat, and “put God first.”
He certainly intended to catch your attention and urge you to take it slowly, she remarked. It’s OK, you have stuff going on in your life, I’m here to tell you. Life will, after all, be life.
But pause for a second, show compassion, smile, and establish eye contact.
She said that rather than embracing materialistic things, he valued the little, straightforward things.
In a hectic environment, she added, “it was vital for him to encourage everyone to simply take a minute and smell the flowers,” and we are aware that D.C. is overworked and task-focused.
It turns out that he did an exceptional job.