Seth Edgar McCutcheon 14 Jan 1923 – 3 Nov 2022

Seth Edgar "Mike" McCutcheon, age 99, passed away gently on November 3, 2022. Having lived just shy of a full century, he will be dearly missed by family and friends.

Mike McCutcheon was born on January 14, 1923 in Covington County, Alabama. He sometimes joked that due to being born several weeks' premature that he was carried home from the hospital in an old shoe box. From that inauspicious start, he soon found his footing in life when, as a teen, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps to help his family make ends meet and learned many of the traits of resilience that would serve him well throughout his life. Shortly thereafter, in 1942, he enlisted in the Navy where he served as a fighter jet mechanic aboard the U.S.S. Leyte and U.S.S. Bogue.

While in the Navy he met the love of his life, Reaby Mae Josey. Like so many young people anxious to settle down during that tumultuous time, they were soon married and, eventually, celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary shortly before Reaby's passing in 2017.

Mike and Reaby spent most of their lives together in West Georgia and East Alabama, initially in Columbus, Georgia, and later in Opelika and Auburn, Alabama. There they raised a family of three children, Barbara, Seth and Cathy, and built a social life that revolved around their good friends at Providence Road Baptist Church in Opelika. Mike parlayed his Navy training as an aviation mechanic into a longtime career as a shop manager for Ryder Truck Lines, from which he ultimately retired. Although often a man of few words, he enjoyed reminiscing when prompted about his hardscrabble upbringing and his time in the Navy, and his wry observations and dry wit could be counted on to sum up just about any situation with pointed accuracy.

He was preceded in passing by his wife, Reaby; his sister, Willie Lee McCutcheon; and his brother, Samuel Webster McCutcheon. Surviving him are his daughter, Barbara Davis; son Seth Edgar McCutcheon, Jr. (Julio Renterea); and daughter Cathy McCutcheon Lockwood (Brett, husband). The family expresses sincere appreciation to Annie Marshall and Epey Akossiwa, two of Mike's caregivers late in his life and each of whom he regarded with affection.

A graveside service is planned for 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 6 at Garden Hills Cemetery, in Opelika Alabama, where he will be laid to rest beside his beloved Reaby. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages contributions to the American Cancer Society.

Arrangements by Georgia Funeral Care 4671 S. Main Street, Acworth, GA 30101