Mel Shutz

Header Graphic

Mel Shutz

Mel Shutz ~ Celebration of Life

Mel was a long time friend and on the Advisory Board of Wildhorse Ranch Rescue.
He was an amazing person and helped so many on this earth.
He will be missed beyond belief.

Mel Shutz

Melvyn Shutz, 84, of Prescott, AZ, passed away on August 30, 2023. Mel was a furniture designer, dog lover, educator, artist, opera enthusiast, philanthropist, author, and a good steward of the communities he has lived in. His charitable donations spanned many organizations and causes.

Mel was born on April 13, 1939, to Edward Shutz and Sara Bennett Shutz. He was preceded in death by his parents and many beloved rescued dogs, including Crosby, Tillie, Max, Brando, and many more.

In his career, Mel worked for the Samuel Berman Company's interior design division in Philadelphia, PA. He also worked for several office furniture companies in various roles, including management, marketing, design, and sales. Mel retired at the young age of 56. He later taught close to 100 classes at Yavapai College through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). Mel's passion for education led him to donate scholarships to the Art and Music Departments at Yavapai College, as well as seed funding for the program "Education Now!" He also provided generous grants to Wildhorse Ranch Rescue in Gilbert, AZ, allowing the charity to purchase 100 acres in Ash Fork, AZ. Mel served on the Advisory Board for Wildhorse Ranch Rescue. Additionally, Mel wrote two books, "Retribution Road," published in September 2021, and "Without Remorse," published on August 3, 2023.

Mel was a talented watercolor artist, and his work has been displayed in various shows and events. He had a deep love for dogs and rescued many throughout his lifetime. Mel also enjoyed the opera, theatre, trivia, and hosting classes and events on those subjects. Later in life, he became a published author of two books.

A Celebration of Life for Mel Shutz will be held:
September 26, 2023, from 3 pm to 5 pm
at The Finn Restaurant at Touchmark
located at 3150 Touchmark Blvd, Prescott, AZ 86301

A Second Celebration will be held at Wildhorse Ranch Rescue where after
saving so many animals in need, Mel found a Forever Family for himself.

A Celebration of Life for Mel Shutz will be held:
October 7, 2023, from 6 pm to 8 pm
at Wildhorse Ranch Rescue
located at 11811 S Lindsay Road Gilbert, AZ 85296
Meet at the covered patio.
Memories ~ Music ~ Refreshments

In lieu of flowers, Mel requested that donations be made to one of his favorite charities. These include Wildhorse Ranch Rescue (wildhorse.org, (480) 503-5497, info@whrr.org) and the Yavapai Humane Society (https://yavapaihumane.org/, (928) 445-2666). For a complete list of charities that Mel supported, please contact Dewey Darwin at dewey.m.darwin@ampf.com or (480) 922-4205.

Please sign Mel's Guest Book.
If you would like to donate in honor of Mel, you may click on his beautiful, smiling face in the picture.

Add Comment

Penny Wills on September 19, 2023 at 2:06 PM said:

Thank you Mel for all of your support and engagement with Yavapai College. I greatly loved our conversations about Crosby! I am picturing a very crowded Rainbow Bridge reception for you!

Bonnie Hughes on September 15, 2023 at 4:46 PM said:

I never had the honor of meeting Mel. He was an amazing person.

Kim ~ Wildhorse on September 13, 2023 at 6:11 PM said:

I met Mel when he came to my art gallery, The Beastro, in the McCormick Arts District in Prescott, AZ. We became fast friends, and he would stop by every Sunday with his dogs for a two hour chat. I found out he was an artist, among a dozen other professions, and I curated an art show of his work at The Beastro. He found out that I founded Wildhorse Ranch Rescue in 1995 and with his love of animals, he became a supporter. We've been friends since 2011. In 2021, I became the editor and publisher of his first book, "Retribution Road." In 2023, he sent me an excerpt of his second book, which included a sheep named Woolie. I read it and told him that I could not be the editor/publisher of his second book without remorse unless I knew that Woolie did not die in the end! He replied, "Well, you've named my 2nd book. It is called "Without Remorse," and I promise you, Woolie will not die. He kept his promise, and I published his book and sent him 10 copies in early August 2023. He was so proud of being an author. I'm grateful that he got to see his 2nd book before his final days on this planet. I will miss Mel Shutz so much. He was a brilliant person, a remarkable friend, and his generous heart helped hundreds of animals and people.

Add Comment

HappyCow Healthy Eating Guide

Wildhorse Ranch Rescue, Inc. aka Wildhorse
501(c)(3) charity ~ Established 1995
Mailing Address for ALL correspondence: PO Box 3080 Gilbert, AZ 85299-3080
Physical Addresses: WHQ ~ Wildhorse Head Quarters 11811 S Lindsay Road Gilbert, AZ 85296
Certified Foster Facility - San Tan Valley, AZ
W66 - Wildhorse 66 ~ 3555 W Old Hwy Ash Fork, AZ 86320
Phone: (866) 926-8007 General inquries info@whrr.org Volunteering ecreeger@wildhorse.org