Pastor devoted his life to helping children

Frederick Lutes spent his life working for children, first in the schools and then for those who had nowhere else to turn.

Lutes, 70, who was born in Indiana, started out as pastor for churches in Ohio and Chicago. He graduated from Franklin College in Indiana and then from the Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Oak Brook. He also went to Aurora University in Aurora.

He later worked as a social worker, mostly in Des Plaines Elementary District 62.

After his retirement there, he worked as an administrator at the Department of Children and Family Services. He died Sunday after a year of battling leukemia.

Terry Weck, who worked with Lutes at DCFS, said the social work seemed like a natural extension of the ministry for Lutes.

Lutes started at DCFS in 1995 and retired 5 years ago, Weck said.

"He had worked with children virtually his whole life," Weck said.

"Fred was very bright, very dedicated. He understood human behavior from a clinical point of view, but he never lost sight of his ministry and the spiritual aspect of it."

Weck said Lutes was there for the children but also for his co-workers.

"We would meet for lunch almost on a daily basis, and he would always be able to talk through different personality problems," Weck said. "He was always able to find the humor in situations and diffuse situations before they became larger."

Lutes is survived by his wife of 47 years, Janice; daughters Kristen DiCicco and Karin Lindstrom; and grandchildren Alyssa DiCicco and Brett Lindstrom.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be given to Arlington Heights Evangelical Free Church, 1330 N. Douglas Ave., Arlington Heights, 60004, or the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society, 651 W. Washington, Suite 400, Chicago, 60661.

Services will be 10 a.m. today at Glueckert Funeral Home, 1520 N. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights. Internment will be in the Memory Gardens Cemetery.