Arthur Irving Blutter

Arthur was a devoted husband to his wife, Joanne Diamond Blutter; wonderful father to his son, Paul Blutter (Sarah) of Birmingham, Ala.; and loving Papa to grandchildren Serena and Eliza. A longtime resident of Jericho and Plainview, N.Y., Arthur moved to Birmingham, Ala., in his final weeks to fulfill his dream of living in the South near his family.

Arthur was born June 9, 1944, in Bronx, N.Y., the son of Aaron “Seymour” Blutter and Mary “Sylvia” Blutter. Through childhood, Arthur developed an appreciation for the power of education, believing that schooling could propel people to achieve any life they wanted; and he wanted a great life, not just for himself, but for those he loved.

After high school, Arthur studied accounting and finance at Baruch College in Manhattan. During his last year at Baruch, he met Joanne Diamond, a smart first-year elementary school teacher at P.S. 155 in East Harlem.

Arthur and Joanne shared their first date on New Year’s Day, 1966, attending an Off-Broadway production of the Fantastiks and sharing Chinese Food later that evening in Queens. They knew early in their relationship they were destined for a special life together. On Labor Day of that same year, Arthur proposed to Joanne at the Village Art Show in Washington Square Park. They were married at the Galaxie in Plainview, NY on August 19, 1967. During their 56 years together, they traveled the U.S. and the world. Arthur often said that marrying Joanne was “the best thing to ever happen” to him and noted numerous times in his final months that he was “a very lucky man.”

Arthur believed in himself always, and had a vision for his future. He knew from an early age that he was destined for entrepreneurship, in part because he realized he did not enjoy working for anyone else. He earned his CPA, started an accounting and tax practice, and ran it for decades until his passing. He also earned a J.D. from Hofstra University in New York and went on to start a successful law practice, that would become Blutter & Blutter, when his wife (and partner in everything) Joanne completed law school and joined him at his firm. A true “Mom and Pop” law firm, Blutter & Blutter allowed Joanne and Arthur to live and work together.

Arthur was a mentor to many and found fulfillment in helping people find their paths. He employed family, friends, and many others early in their careers, giving them opportunities they would not have otherwise found. He was very proud that his firm was a starting point for many successful careers in law and other fields. One of his great joys was hearing from alumni of his firm and others whom he had helped.

His true passion was his family. He hosted numerous Thanksgiving dinners and other holiday events and was always excited to give (and require participation from guests to also give) informal speeches about life and gratitude at holiday meals. Throughout his life, he spent a lot of time with his son and his son’s friends, hanging out and sharing funny stories. He loved attending his granddaughters’ sporting events and academic awards ceremonies, always noting (often with eyes full of tears) how fortunate he was to be their Papa.

He attended and watched numerous baseball, football, and hockey games with his son. Of note, he took his son to the Mets’ September 17, 1986 division-clinching game, which would turn out to be one of the great games in the history of the franchise. Standing on the Shea Stadium infield with his son after the game, while the fans celebrated wildly all around them, Arthur remarked how happy he was to share the moment with him.

He is survived by his wife; son and daughter-in-law; grandchildren; brothers and sisters-in-law; nephews; nieces; and cousins. Services will be held on Tuesday October 31, at 10 a.m., at I.J. Morris (21 E. Deer Park Road, Dix Hills, NY). Memorial donations may be made to his granddaughters’ schools, Highlands School (4901 Old Leeds Road, Birmingham, Ala) or The Altamont School (4801 Altamont Road, Birmingham, Ala); or an educational institution of one’s choosing.