Obituary of Colonel Phyllis A Luttman (Ret)

Colonel Phyllis A. Luttman (Ret), 85, of Biloxi, Mississippi passed away peacefully on March 1, 2021.  She was born and raised in Neptune, New Jersey and graduated from Neptune Highschool.   She was a member of the Atonement Lutheran Church in Asbury Park.  

Col. Phyllis A. Luttman was predeceased by her parents Henny and Ferdinand Luttman Sr.;  brother Ferdinand Luttman Jr.;  sister Dolores Duerkes; brother Gerald Luttman, beloved neice Virginia Durkes, all of New Jersey.

Phyllis leaves behind her beloved sister, Barbara Freeman and her husband Walter Freeman; sister-in-law, Barbara Luttman; beloved nieces and nephews John Duerkes, Linda Rice, Patricia Williams, Sheryl Dochelli, Kelly Carpinello, Kyle Freeman, Todd Luttman, Troy Luttman, and Tammi Kernis. 

Phyllis joined the Air Force in 1962 and she was commissioned as a 1^st Lieutenant in October 1969 after receiving her basic nursing education in New Jersey, she served on active duty for 30 years and in the Reserves for 2 years retiring in January 1993 from Keesler AFB.   She served at numerous installations as Operating Room and Central Supply Director including Otis AFB, Massachusetts, Bunker Hill AFB, Indiana, Tuslog Det 37 in Ankara Turkey, Sheppard AFB in Texas, David Grant Medical Center in California, and the USAF Medical Center at Keesler AFB.

While servicing as a Flight Nurse and Flight Nurse Instructor from 1968 to 1970 at Scott AFB during the Vietnam War, she designed and taught a mandatory course to all physicians, nurses, and technicians on the aeromedical equipment used aboard the various aircrafts.  After extensive training at the Bird Respirator Corporation in California, she assisted in the design of a baffle system for respirators used on all aeromedical flights worldwide.  Phyllis was a member of a two-person team which evaluated and medically accepted the new McDonald Douglas DC-89 flying hospital, the Nightingale.  She also flew as an advisor for AF Reserve aeromedical teams flying near off shore missions. Phyllis spearheaded and coordinated several important educational programs including the Operating Room Nursing and OR Management Courses, both taught at Keesler.

Col. Luttman was very active in numerous professional organizations including the Aerospace Medical Association of which she is still a member.  She was elected President of the Flight Nurse Section from 1979-1980.  She received the Brig. Gen. E.A. Hoefly Award for clinical and managerial excellence.  Col. Luttman was not only a member of the four-person tri-service concept to design the Operating Room portion of the air transportable hospitals now used worldwide.  That role brought additional duties world -wide including Consultant to the Defense Medical Standardization Board working on the deployable medical systems:  Personnel Consultant for O.R. nursing assignments; AF consultant to the WARMEDS Panel; Augmentee to Health Management Inspection Teams; member of a design team for future emergency overseas hospitals.    In 1984 she was selected as the Chief Consultant to the Air Force Surgeon General for O.R. nursing up until retirement.   In 1986 she was selected and honored as an Aerospace Fellow.   Later she served as the Chairman of the National Membership Committee, and served on the Executive Council until 1991.  Col. Luttman also served for many years on the Board of Directors of the Mississippi Coast Military Officers Association (MCMOA) and was the liaison between the MCMOA and the Keesler Commissary, BX, Support Services, and the Medical Center.   

During her career Phyllis was awarded numerous decorations including the Legion of Merit, Air Force Meritorious Service with two oak leaf clusters, the Joint Services Commendation Medal, and the Air Force Commendation Medal. 

She was a prolific writer publishing papers in numerous professional magazines gaining recognition in 1974 for receiving the 1^st place AORN Award of Excellence in Medical Journalism.   In addition, she submitted news articles to the monthly MCMOA newsletter.  She was also the conceptual planner, founder and developer of the US Air Force Operating Room Nurses Newsletter as well as its editor from 1979 through 1992.

Since her retirement in 1993, Col. Luttman worked on hundreds of Red Cross Blood Drives as a volunteer.  She served on the local chapter of the American Red Cross Board of Directors for 7 years. Throughout the 1990’s Phyllis assisted in National disasters and designed and routinely checked the disaster kits.   She served as a member and was an ambassador with the Chamber of Commerce for the Biloxi Bay Area.  In 2017 she received Senior Volunteer of the year award for Biloxi Main Street.  In 2019 she received the Wylie Enhancement Award by the Biloxi Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. 

A viewing will be held on Sunday, March 7th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Freeman Funeral Home located at 47 East Main Street, Freehold.  A private funeral service for family will be held at the funeral home.  Donations may be made to the American Red Cross www.redcross.org; American Cancer Society www.cancer.org; or the Humane Society of South Mississippi www.hssm.org.   In keeping with CDC Guidelines, masks and social distancing are required. For condolences, directions or information regarding donations, please go to www.freemanfuneralhomes.com.