Austin E. Mutz

Dr. Austin Mutz died on July 10th, 2016 at home with all his children around him. He was 99. The cause of death was kidney failure. He was born Austin Edward Mutz on April 11th, 1917 in Lincoln Nebraska to Otto and Frances Butler Mutz. He graduated from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln in 1939 and from the College of Medicine in Omaha in 1943. He and Helen Elizabeth Claybaugh were married July 20th, 1942 in Lincoln, Nebraska. After completing his internship at the University Hospital in Omaha, he served as Captain in the Medical Corps in the Central Pacific and in the occupation of Japan. After his discharge in 1946, he was in general practice in Spalding, Nebraska until 1950 when he started a residency in internal medicine at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut. In 1952 he moved his family to Denver where he became a founding member of the Denver Clinic and a volunteer Assistant Professor at the Medical School. He was active in the Colorado Heart Association and served as President in 1966. He also was a Director of the American Heart Association for six years. A wanderlust sparked by his service in Japan resulted in travel to every corner of the globe, including every summer Olympic Games for over 30 years. He and Helen celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in July, 2012 with all five children and spouses. Austin was preceded in death by his son George in 1966, his daughter-in-law Linda in 2008, his wife Helen in 2013 and his sister Virginia in 2015. He is survived by his sons John Stuart Mutz and Gregory Mutz of Denver, Mark Mutz of Englewood and his daughters Martha MacDonald and husband Robert of Leipzig, Germany and Mary Frances Pringle and her husband David of Homer, New York. He is also survived by four grandchildren Collins Pringle and wife Emily, Tassie Zaluski and her husband Dror, George Mutz and Haley Mutz and a step-great-granddaughter Davika MacDonald. His brother-in-law Glenn Claybaugh and wife Mary Lou also survive him. A Funeral Mass will be held August 27, 2016, 11:00am at St. James Catholic Church, 1311 Oneida Street, Denver, Colorado, 80220. Memorial Donations may be made in Dr. Mutz's name to the American Heart Association. Please share memories of Dr. Mutz and condolences for his family in the guestbook below.