Adam Everett Gutwein

Former Lafayette resident, Adam Everett Gutwein, passed away unexpectedly January 6, 2021 at his home in Florida. Adam was born on December 23, 1980, and was the best Christmas present ever received by his parents. He was a wonderful son, partner, brother, uncle, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend. He had a beautiful smile, loved to laugh, and enjoyed making others laugh. Adam was very kind, generous, hard-working, and had a great sense of humor. From a young age, Adam was always compassionate. He had no tolerance for the mistreatment of others and would often advocate for the less fortunate. One night before a middle school game day, when he learned that a fellow teammate needed a tie and a pair of shoes, Adam asked his mom if they could bring those things to school for him, so that he wouldn’t be embarrassed or without. His generous heart was not limited to humans. From his first dog, a boxer named Peyton (Go Colts!), to the rescue animals that shared his home – a cherished elderly cat named Jenkins, and dogs Harrison and Bellatrix – his kindness knew no limits. Growing up, Adam enjoyed music, sports, and helping others. He was involved in Boy Scouts and persevered to become an Eagle Scout. His Eagle Scout project brought in over 1600lbs of food to Food Finders of Lafayette, while helping to raise awareness of food insecurity in his community. He played the saxophone and was his mother’s Kenny G. He loved to sing and wasn’t a terrible dancer either, being a part of the prestigious First Edition show choir of Jefferson High school. While in high school, Adam found joy and success in sports, lettering in Basketball, Track, and Football, and honored as Defensive Player of the Year his Senior year. Adam also took part in the Radio & Television program, with a morning radio show that once featured bringing his grandmother on the air along with a cooking segment for TV. In addition to his many extracurricular activities, he achieved a high level of academic success: featured in the Academic Showcase, a member of National Honor Society, earning an Academic Honors Diploma, and named the National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete of the Year for Northwest Indiana in his senior year. Even though Adam headed to Indiana University after high school graduation in 1999, a huge part of him would always remain a Boilermaker – never forgetting to Boiler Up when he came back home (unless the game happened to be against IU)! He graduated in 2004 with degrees in Underwater Archaeology and Anthropology. In 2005, Adam earned his Underwater Resource Management certification and became a Certified Divemaster. Those skills earned him spots on at least six diving expeditions, taking him to the Dominican Republic, California, and Florida. He was a part of the 2003 Frolic Survey Project team, which was featured on a History Channel documentary about The Frolic (and making him his mother’s Jacques Cousteau). His passion for the sea was a constant, and he loved to share his love of undersea exploration, deep sea fishing, boating, and all things aquatic with his friends and family when they would visit. Adam was always a salesman at heart. Throughout the years from Glen Acres, Sunnyside and then Jeff High School, he always wanted to be the top seller for any fundraiser. Thank you to all of his patrons who couldn’t turn him down, even if they didn’t need what he was selling. Adam continued his sales success in Florida (with a nod to his Lafayette roots) at a Subaru dealership, earning multiple Salesman of the Month awards – even taking home Salesman of the Year in 2017. Adam is survived by his loving mother, Deborah (Loy) Gutwein (Companion, Terry North), his siblings, Ashley (Matthew) Green, Billie Jo (Jeff) Hinrichs, and Jason Gutwein, his partner, Nycolette Danner and her son Tristan Danner. Nieces, Emily Bishop and Adeline Green and a nephew, Everett Green. Adam is also survived by his grandmothers, Barbara Loy and JoAnn Loy, Uncle Dennis & Aunt Kitty Gutwein, Aunt Chelle Gutwein, uncles, Steve, Mark, and Rob Loy, cousins, Jacob (Michelle) Gutwein, Jonathan (Jessica) Gutwein, Lydia (Jardon) Koebcke, Elijah Gutwein, Cassondra (Phillip) Brown, Ian Loy, and Ethan Loy. Adam was preceded in death by his father, Mitchell Gutwein, grandparents, Adam & Arlene Gutwein and Harold Loy, and his uncle, Roger Gutwein. Adam will be sorely missed by those of us left behind, but comfort is found in knowing that he had a relationship with the Lord. A private service will be held with a celebration of Adam’s life to take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Food Finders of Lafayette, Indiana, in honor of Adam Everett Gutwein.