John William Gutknecht

Dr. John W. Gutknecht, 78, of Beaufort passed away Tuesday, November 3, 2015 at his home. His memorial and praise service will be held at Ann Street Methodist Church of Beaufort, NC at 1:00 PM Saturday with Deacon Candidate of the United Methodist Church, Ivy Lynn Gates Parker and Rev. Dennis M. Goodwin officiating. The memorial service will be followed by a reception in the Eure Building Fellowship Hall. Burial will follow the reception at Carteret Memorial Gardens. Dr. Gutknecht was born April 13, 1937, in Youngstown, OH to the late William "Bill" Gutknecht, Jr., and Phyllis T. Gutknecht. He graduated from Poland Seminary High School, Wesleyan University and the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, receiving his doctoral degree in Zoology in 1964. In 1961, he became the National AAU champion in the six mile run and for three years was a member of the United States Track and Field Team. From 1964-67 he was a research biologist at the US Dept. of Interior Radiobiological Laboratory in Beaufort. In 1968 he joined the faculty of Duke University and for 26 years he taught physiology and conducted research at the Duke School of Medicine and the Duke Marine Laboratory in Beaufort. In 1981 he became a Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science, and in 1989 he received the "Golden Apple" award from the American Medical Student Association. He was a devoted Christian and a member of the Ann Street Methodist Church in Beaufort where he taught adult Bible studies for 25 years. He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Joyce Chadwick Gutknecht; his daughter, Dr. Terry Anne Sams and husband, Joseph Augustine Sams of Southern Pines, NC; stepson, Dr. Charles Bradford Griggs of Louisville, KY; sister, Linda Gutknecht Owen of Dayton, OH; grandsons, John Charles and McGowan Augustine Sams of Southern Pines; nephew, Michael Owen of Cincinnati, OH and niece, Gwen Owen of Dayton, OH; sister-in-law, Jean C. Green and husband Jimmie L. Green, Col. USMC, Ret. of Cape Carteret; sister-in-law, Linda Mae Chadwick of Beaufort; brother-in-law, Thomas Chadwick of Winston-Salem. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to: Ann Street United Methodist Church, 417 Ann St, Beaufort, NC 28516 or IDRCCC (Interfaith Disaster Response Council of Carteret County) 1206 Live Oak St. Beaufort, NC 28516. Condolences and life tributes may be sent to the family at www.noefs.org Arrangements by Noe Funeral Service, Inc. of Beaufort, NC. Service Information Memorial Service Saturday November 7, 2015 1:00 PM Ann Street United Methodist Church 417 Ann Street Beaufort, NC 28516