A.H. McCutcheon Jr., a former sports writer, dies

You could talk to Andy McCutcheon for hours, and you would know he was a gracious, engaging fellow. You would know he was a great listener with a gentle sense of humor. You would know why people were drawn to be his friend.

But there's a good chance you would not know he had helped engineer another Virginian's meteoric political career, earned national acclaim as a sports writer, been the communications bedrock for a major corporation and played football for a team that went to the Rose Bowl.

That's how modest he was.

Andrew Haliday McCutcheon Jr. died of cancer Sunday at the Hermitage at Cedarfield, his home in western Henrico County. He was 84.

A memorial service will be held at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church at 1101 Forest Ave., where he was a trustee.

"Andy was one of the easiest people in the world to be with," said Charlotte Daughtrey Andrews McCutcheon, his wife of 60 years. "He was one of the good guys."

A West Virginia native, Mr. McCutcheon was a lineman for the University of Tennessee team that lost 25-0 to the University of Southern California in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 1945. Later he would point out with typical modesty that he was a third-stringer and had a hurt foot, so he didn't see any action in the bowl game.

After service in the Navy stateside in the last days of World War II, he finished his college education at Washington and Lee University, and in 1949 went to work for The Richmond News Leader. Jennings Culley, who would later become The News Leader's sports editor, recalled working alongside Mr. McCutcheon, one of three sports reporters on the staff.

"He was a great guy, well-liked by everybody," Culley said. "And he was an excellent writer. I used to tell him that if he had stayed at the paper, he would have been sports editor and I wouldn't have had to do all that work."

Mr. McCutcheon's beats included University of Richmond sports and Richmond's AAA baseball franchise. Both beats produced stories that were included in books that collected the year's best newspaper and magazine sports writing.

The 1956 book included a story about "Hot Rod" Hundley, flamboyant basketball star for Richmond foe West Virginia University. The 1961 collection included Mr. McCutcheon's poignant look at the plight of Cuban AAA players whose team, the Sugar Kings, had been uprooted from Havana and moved to New Jersey — the result of political unrest after Fidel Castro came to power.

Mr. McCutcheon gave up his glittering newspaper career to pursue another abiding interest, politics. After serving as executive assistant to two congressmen, he was special assistant for Sargent Shriver at the Office of Economic Opportunity when it was creating vital jobs programs.

Then he gave up his job and ran for a seat in Congress himself, trying to upend Republican incumbent William L. Scott in the sprawling 8th District.

Drafted to run, Mr. McCutcheon depleted his family savings to take on his better-funded opponent. "We decided we would do that, but we wouldn't mortgage the house," said Mrs. McCutcheon.

The all-volunteer campaign was a family endeavor. The couple's daughter, Sallie, who was 11, would wear a blue dress with a green-ribbon "M" sewn on as one of the "McCutcheon Girls."

Mr. McCutcheon was beaten soundly. "We knew it was coming," said his wife, "but it was a great experience. Andy said it was as good as getting a Ph.D."

Their daughter, Sallie M. Johnston of Henrico, now a special-education teacher at J.R. Tucker High School, took the loss hard. When the returns came in, she left the election-night gathering for a while. "I walked around the parking lot crying," she recalled. "I couldn't believe for a single moment that my dad wouldn't be elected."

Johnston's own husband died at age 44 when her two daughters were 12 and 15. "Dad just stepped in for them – he was the greatest granddad," she said, tears welling in her eyes.

She said Mr. McCutcheon was proud that both granddaughters had also become special-education teachers.

After his run for Congress, Mr. McCutcheon went to work for Reynolds Metals Co., where he was a marketing and recycling officer and headed government-relations departments. Long before he retired as vice president in 1992, he became the company's font of family and corporate knowledge.

"He knew everything about the history of Reynolds Metals and the Reynolds family," said Randy Reynolds Sr., who was vice chairman of the company before Alcoa bought it, and is now one of the owners of Reynolds Development.

"I once gave a speech at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College," he said, "and Andy brought me up to speed. He knew things I didn't know."

Likewise, J. Sargeant Reynolds Jr. recalled giving a speech about his father "and Andy wrote it. He was like a member of the family."

In 1969, Mr. McCutcheon took a year away from his Reynolds Metals corporate career to serve as campaign manager for J. Sargeant Reynolds Sr.'s successful run for lieutenant governor of Virginia. After his victory, Reynolds was widely regarded as the "golden boy" of the Democratic Party, but he died of a brain tumor in 1971, only 34.

Mr. McCutcheon co-wrote a book about his boss's brief, brilliant career, "Sarge Reynolds in the Time of His Life."

In retirement, Mr. McCutcheon never stopped serving. He had been president of the Metro Richmond YMCA. He maintained an active interest in politics. In addition to his work at St. Matthew's Episcopal, at the time of his death he was on the boards of the Library of Virginia and of the J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College Foundation. He was on the screening committee of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and had remained active in Washington and Lee alumni affairs.

In addition to his wife, daughter and two granddaughters, Mr. McCutcheon's survivors include a sister, Judy M. Smith of Richmond. His brother, Joe McCutcheon, died eight years ago.