As this long day begins for the family of Johnny Lee Cutliff as they began to make the final decisions for the visitation with family and friends tonight and the funeral tomorrow of Johnny Lee Cutliff, we have learned that his teenage grandson, Johntriel Cutliff, has insisted on being a pallbearer.

In a life struck by tragedy with first his father lost to a senseless gun shooting in 1993 to now the lost of his grandfather Johnny Lee Cutliff, in a tragic vehicle accident last week; the teenage boy, Johntriel Cutliff has insisted on carrying his grandfather to his final resting place.

I have had the privilege of talking to this young man’s mother, who is saying no one can talk to her son about the incident, he is quiet and withdrawn as would be expected but he is also firm in carrying the casket of his grandfather tomorrow.

It is going to take a very long time for Johntriel Cutliff to come to terms with the horrible accident that occurred on October 29, 2009 that took the life of Johnny Lee Cutliff and John M. O’Quinn. It was impossible for the family to turn on the television last Thursday without being inundated with video of the horribly wrecked SUV that John O’Quinn was driving. Ms. Polk describes the family as “just hanging on” all of them still in shock. I was shown a program for the funeral tomorrow and read the heartfelt poem written by Johnny Lee Cutliff’s brother, Phillip Cutliff and a message to Mr. Cutliff written by his sister, Landas, [Yolanda] Cutliff Jacob. We have asked for and hope to obtain a program for tomorrow’s service which is full of pictures of Mr. Cutliff with his family as well as the picture with this article. The O’Quinn Law firm family is expected to attend this second funeral in less than a week. The funeral home told us they expect between 800 – 1,000 mourners for tomorrow’s service.

Rayna Polk, Johntriel’s mother, talked to us often breaking into tears about the closeness of her teenage son to his grandfather. Ms. Polk describes her son as an “average teenager” and with pride said her son had never been in trouble. Ms. Polk spoke about Johnny Lee Cutliff always encouraging his grandson to be anything he wanted to be saying that the world was opened to him. Mr. Cutliff is described as the rock of his family, an amazing brother and grandfather. Ms. Polk said Mr. Cutliff encouraged his grandson to be active in sports, to go to college and only recently had Johntriel decided on basketball. Ms. Polk went on to say that one of the last conversation she had with her father-in-law, was about Johntriel’s future including that both of them were hoping to get an athletic scholarship for Mr. Cutliff’s grandson. Ms. Polk is fearlessly protective of her son’s right to privacy and to have time to grieve and accept the grandfather who throughout his life also served as Johntriel’s father figured is now gone forever. Ms. Polk said that Johntriel in previous years had been invited to go out to eat with his grandfather and Mr. O’Quinn and was taken to see Mr. O’Quinn’s car collection. She spoke with fondness about the closeness of Mr. O’Quinn and her father-in-law, Mr. Cutliff and confirmed to us they were friends, not just employer – employee.

Ms. Polk’s primary concern right now is the future of her son and that he remains well taken care of as his grandfather had done since his birth. Ms. Polk sadly finds herself as navigating alone now to help her son come to grip with this tragic loss of his grandfather. She worries about the lack of money to do the things for her son that had previously been done by Mr. Cutliff. The only panic I heard in her voice during our interview was her fears of being able to do for Johntriel what every teenager needs, stability and the finances to continue to encourage his love for sports.

I told Ms. Polk that we were going to print out all three articles about her father-in-law’s death and the comments that had been made here in Texas, throughout the nation and to our international readers. Ms. Polk thanked me and as I told her we would get these articles and comments to her via her attorney, Mr. Nolley or the funeral home. Ms. Polk said that would be something that she would put up for her son to read when he is ready.

Our continued prayers go out to young Johntriel, his mother and all of the family and friends of Johnny Lee Cutliff as they attempt to make sense out of something that appears so senseless.

We are pledged to keep up with young Johntriel via his mother and/or his attorney, Mr. Nolley, as they come to terms over the next several months as to what happened and what will now happen to Johntriel Cutliff.

What an amazing young man to insist on being the lead pallbearer to carry his grandfather to his final place of rest, Paradise North Cemetery. Johntriel will grieve later, but not today or tomorrow as he remains the young man that his grandfather was so proud of, this time standing for his grandfather in a row that now has been sadly reversed this weekend.

The irony of Johnny Lee Cutliff’s birthday yesterday, November 5, 2009 he would have been 57 years old, that was not lost on any of us. This year there was no celebration just long hours of agonizing tears.

©Rose Turner
November 6, 2009
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Tags: Celebrity Trials, Don Clark ex-FBI, Duncan Funeral Home, Duncan Funeral Home - Houston Texas, High Profile Trials, John O'Quinn, Johnny Lee Cutliff, Johnny Lee Cutliff's birthday, Johnny Lee Cutliff's funeral, Johntriel Cutliff, Landas Cutliff, O'Quinn Law Firm family, Paradise North Cementary, Paradise North Cemetery - Houston, Phillip Cutliff, Rayna Polk, teenage grandson of Johnny Lee Cutliff, The O'Quinn Law Firm, Waverly Nolley Esq., Yolanda cutliff Jacob

Johnny Lee Cutliff the man who was suddenly taken from this earth at 8:00 AM on October 29, 2009 in a tragic automobile accident with his employer of twenty six years, Mr. John O’Quinn, was born on November 5, 1952 and was 56 years old at the time of his death.

Mr. Cutliff is survived by his wife of twenty five years, Rosemary Anderson, his grandson, Johntriel Cutliff age 17 who was the love of Johnny Lee’s life, four brothers, James Earl, Adrian, Phillip and Tony Cutliff all of the Houston Texas area, one sister Yolanda Yvette Cutliff of Houston and eight nieces and nephews.

Mr. Cutliff is predeceased by his parents Johnnie Mae and Phillip Cutliff and lost his only son, Johnny Lee Cutliff Jr., in 1993 at the age of eighteen through a gunshot accident.

Family members described Mr. Cutliff as a deeply religious man but one everyone just “loved being around”. Mr. Cutliff was described as a “terrific dad”, and upon his son’s traffic death became the role model for his only grandson, Johntriel Cutliff.

Tony Cutliff shared with us that Johnny Cutliff went to church every Sunday at 6:00 AM, the services did not start until 8:00 AM, but every Sunday you could find Johnny Lee in church in prayer asking for both Mr. Cutliff’s sins to be forgiven but also guiding all of his family to the love of God and the peace God provides. Tony Cutliff said his last memory of his brother which he holds onto during this trying time was being with his brother at church on Sunday October 25, 2009 and watching Johnny Lee in prayer. That is who Mr. Cutliff was to his family. Despite the saddest of life experiences in Mr. Cutliff’s life including the sudden death of his son, Mr. Cutliff brought all of his family to God and the peace that God gives all. I would say that is a wonderful memory for Johnny Lee to leave his brother, Tony and all of his family and friends with, a man’s head bowed in prayer for not only himself but for all of those he knew.

Johnny Lee Cutliff was described as a modest man by family who describe him as not just John O’Quinn’s personal driver and attendant but also as O’Quinn’s “right hand man” and had been devoted to O’Quinn since 1983 from the first day he worked for O’Quinn twenty six years ago. Mr. Cutliff was one of the few in John O’Quinn’s trusted inner circle. Mr. Cutliff loved working for Mr. O’Quinn and rarely if ever took a day off per his family.

Mr. Cutliff was a member of the Lakewood Church in Houston Texas. Duncan Funeral Home is handling the arrangements for Mr. Johnny Cutliff. Duncan Funeral Home is located at 5806 N. Wayside Drive, Houston, Texas 77028, (713) 672-8782. Visitation with the family will be from 6:00 to 9:00 PM on Friday, November 6, 2009 at the Duncan Funeral Home. Rev. Joseph C. Glenn will be officiated at Mr. Cutliff’s funeral on Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 11:00 AM at the chapel of Duncan Funeral Home. Pallbearers will be Mr. Cutliff’s four brothers and his nephew James Cutliff.

In death all men become equal, and what you leave is the reputation you have built up in life. The chapter in the new Testament that best describes this is First Corinthians 13 which is about love, something Mr. Cutliff seemed to show to all every day of his life.

1 Corinthians 13
Love
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
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Mr. Tony Cutliff told us that although the O’Quinn Law Firm was taking care of all of Johnny Lee’s funeral expenses that the family was just now talking to each other about setting up a trust account for Mr. Cutliff’s grandson to insure the education of Johntriel Cutliff. When that fund is set up we will be adding the name of where money can be sent through the funeral home for that trust fund or through the family’s attorney Waverly Nolley’s office.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to all who loved Mr. Cutliff, from his family to friends to those who attended church with him weekly, the pain will remain long after the funeral for Mr. Cutliff as this modest man’s family lay him to rest.

Mr. Nolley told Fox 26 news on November 2, 2009, “His current goal is to represent the interest of the family in a death case.” Mr. Nolley added it was not appropriate to discuss any legal venues the family might seek prior to Johnny Lee Cutliff being laid to rest. The SUV Mr. O’Quinn was driving at the time of this tragic accident was registered to the John O’Quinn Law Firm.

A copy of this obituary of love by Mr. Cutliff’s brother Tony with all of the comments of condolences will be sent to Mr. Cutliff’s family in care of either the funeral home or the family’s attorney after the funeral this weekend.

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