Jim Nutter, a great Kansas Citian and an even better human being, had his “HomeGoing” today at Country Club Christian Church, 61st Terrace and Ward Parkway.
I walked over to the funeral with a good friend, Kaler Bole, who, like me, was an admirer or Nutter’s big heart, which expressed itself partly in his unconditional and uninhibited generosity.
Nearly everyone who knew Nutter has his or her own story about a cause he gave to or a person he helped.
(Mine is about a contribution he made early this year to the public-private drive to renovate Meyer Circle Fountain. When I first called, asking for a contribution, Nutter noted that he had already pledged $300,000 toward renovation of the fountain at the eastern end of Meyer Boulevard. “I’ve done more than my fair share,” he said, but added that, nevertheless, he would give $1,000 for Meyer Circle. When I called him back a few weeks later to arrange pick-up, he said, “Make it $5,000.”)
Today, two family members and two close friends got to tell their Jim Nutter stories to several hundred people gathered in the Country Club Christian Church sanctuary, where Jim and his wife Annabel were longtime members.
The speakers were: grandson Russ Moore; longtime friend Dr. Harry Jonas; U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver; and Jim Nutter Jr., who has been president for several years of the mortgage banking firm his father founded, James B. Nutter & Co.
Here are some eulogy highlights:
Russ Moore
Russ is only 24 or 25 but talks and carries himself like he’s much older. He is the son of Jim and Annabel’s only daughter, Nancy Moore, who died of breast cancer in 2004, when Russ was 11 years old. After the death of his mother, who was divorced, Russ went to live with his grandparents, and Nutter profoundly influenced Russ.
Russ spoke of seeing Nutter’s compassion first-hand and of his grandfather’s belief that the “reverberation of compassion” was not only good for business but “good for the heart.”
“He was a giant and a champion of the common people,” Russ said. “He was my personal champion…My grandfather was the father I never had.”
Harry Jonas
Back in the early 1970s, when I was a young reporter covering the Jackson County Courthouse, Jonas was one of the initial members of the Jackson County Legislature, after the county went to home-rule government, instead of being politically beholden to the state.
Jonas, whose friendship with Nutter goes back to those days, noted that Nutter was a strong Democrat and contributed primarily to Democratic candidates. He added, however, “He never hesitated to support good Republicans, like our three-term mayor, Dick Berkley.”
(Berkley, now in his mid-80s and very weak, was at the funeral.)
Jonas said that Nutter, despite battling a variety of health problems the last decade or so, “never lost his enthusiasm and his commitment to a life of doing good.”
“Jim,” Jonas said in closing, “we love you, and you will always be Mr. Kansas City.”
Emanuel Cleaver
Cleaver started his eulogy with an anecdote about inadvertently having left his backyard gate open recently and then watching the family’s 125-pound dog running out of the yard — “with what I interpreted as a smile on his face.”
“What has that got to do with Jim Nutter?” Cleaver said. “Let me explain.”
He went on to say that Nutter had gamboled through life without strictures or restraints, liberally helping others and following his own weathervane. “Thank God somebody left the gate open for Jim Nutter,” Cleaver said.
Jim Nutter Jr.
Jim Sr. was legendary for his long conversations, either on the telephone or in person, and it was hard to cut him off partly because he was so animated and enthusiastic in his story telling. After mounting the steps to the church pulpit and pulling papers from his inside coat pocket, Jim Jr. deftly alluded to that, saying, “Have you got time for one more story?”
He went on to talk about his father’s “uncanny sense of business, numbers and people.” And he recalled how his father urged him to “try to understand people by taking a walk in their shoes.”
In a beautiful touch, Jim Jr. recounted the highlights of his father’s last day on earth, last Friday.
For lunch he had a sandwich that had been brought to his home from the Capital Grille on the Plaza. After that, he watched some TV and read that day’s Kansas City Star. Then, he laid down for a nap.
And that was that.
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
Jim:
Thank you so much for your wonderful report on Jim Nutter’s funeral. It certainly means a lot to those of us who didn’t get there. You covered it beautifully.
He will be vividly remembered when the Meyer Circle Fountain starts flowing again–soon hopefully.
When I first learned he had committed $300,000 to Haff Circle Fountain at Meyer and Swope Parkway, I was awestruck. The Meyer Circle Fountain enjoys an affluent constituency, one fully capable of raising hundreds of thousands (and did) for a beloved fountain.
The eastern end of the boulevard, at Swope Parkway, is not so fortunate, and Jim, knowing that, gave prolifically so the eastern terminus would also be anchored by a fully functioning, attractive fountain. (In addition to his gift, City Manager Troy Schulte has earmarked for that fountain $750,000 in general obligation bond funds — compliments of Kansas City voters’ approval in April of the $800 million GO bond issue.)
Touching. Considering the political system now and the cold flood of money to influence officeholders, there’s likely never to be another James B. Nutter again.
A rare one, for sure, Bruce.
Thank you for your report, Jim. Well done! We were all lucky to live in the same town as Mr. Nutter. His memory will be for a blessing.
I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing Mr. Nutter personally. But my wife and I took out two mortgages from his company over our 37 years in this town. And I just really appreciated the fact that the Nutter company held everything locally; never sold the mortgages to bigger banks and were always ready with answers on the phone when we called with any questions. It’s been a great company to deal with. Sorry for his loss; he was the “George Bailey” of Kansas City.
Beautifully put, Leigh. I know what you mean. When I bought my first house, at 51st and Grand, many years ago, I borrowed from him and ultimately paid it off. I think we used him for our second house, also, the one on 56th Street. When we moved here six years ago, for some reason I took out a loan from Missouri Bank, where Patty has a line of credit. I think they sold it within the first year, and it’s changed hands two or three times since. If I had it to do again…
Mr. Nutter was a staunch friend to the KC Southwest Baseball team, 1990 – 1998; an unfunded sports orphan due to our unfriendly AD and downtown KCMO SD administration. I can attest that his thoughtfulness positively impacted the lives of these young baseball players.