John D. Shuttleworth

It is with much sadness that we announce the passing of John Shuttleworth, a long-time AMC member and volunteer, last month. John was Chair of the Berkshire (now Western MA) Chapter of AMC in 1979 when the chapter took over management of the Appalachian Trail throughout Massachusetts. He helped negotiate this agreement between AMC and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (then the Appalachian Trail Conference) and define the extent of trail management and maintenance responsibilities. John attended AMC-wide Trails Committee meetings in the 1980s representing the Berkshire Chapter. He was an active volunteer at the Noble View Outdoor Center and enjoyed the facility long before electricity and other amenities arrived there. He continued involvement with the AMC for many years, joined organized hikes on the Appalachian Trail as long as he was able, and attended the annual Western MA A.T. Volunteer Gathering almost every year, including in May of 2022. Steve Smith, a long-time member of the Western MA A.T. Committee, remembers John well, saying, "He was an AMC friend of mine since the 1980s when I was involved in the White Mountain Trails program. He always came to the Trails Committee meetings representing the Berkshire Chapter. When I was leading the yearly A.T. Day walk from Route 20 to Goose Pond Road, he was a regular every year, even when he had a hard time walking. He was an example of the best old time AMC'er." Deb Weisenstein, who served as A.T. Committee chair from 2021-2022, also has many fond memories of John. "John was on a list of retired volunteers that we invited to the A.T. Volunteer Gathering every year, and he and his wife Inga almost always attended. I personally called John and invited him to the 2022 Gathering. He was delighted to attend and shared stories about his days at AMC and the formation of the Western MA A.T. Committee. A couple of weeks after the Gathering, he called me with thanks and told me how much he had enjoyed being there. The Western MA A.T. Committee is grateful for John's contributions to AMC and the Appalachian Trail in Massachusetts and for his continued participation through so many years." We extend our sincerest condolences to John's family and will remember him with much gratitude for his long service to the AMC. There will be a memorial service Saturday, March 4, 2023 in Longmeadow, MA. See his obituary for details.