John Guttermann Jr

John Robert Guttermann Jr., age 69, of New Brighton passed away on Dec. 29, 2016. He is survived by Dawn, his wife, of 37 years, brother-in-law, Hartley Schilling (Carmen Olejniczak), and his aunt, Audrey Johnson, as well as many other friends. John was a pastor by profession for many years and loved to help others. He enjoyed traveling, reading and continuously was striving to learn new things. Being outdoors and staying physically fit was important to John and he combined the love of trekking and biking with his love of travel. He hiked to the base camp of Everest and Annapurna, climbed Kilimanjaro, hiked to Machu Picchu and took numerous long distance cycling tours. John's other primary passion was for social justice. He founded Conversations with Friends, a non-profit where volunteers visit detained immigrants awaiting deportation hearings. Additionally, he worked tirelessly to educate state and federal legislators along with the general public on immigration reform. Funeral Service will be on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017 at United Church of Christ, 1000 Long Lake Rd, New Brighton, MN at 3pm, with visitation one hour prior. Visitation time will also be held on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017 from 5-8 PM, at Miller Funeral Home, 6210 Hwy 65 NE, Fridley, MN. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to Conversations with Friends.