John Cutillo, the man who led the successful effort to incorporate Fountain Hills as a town and served as its first mayor from 1990 to 1996 died at home in Fountain Hills on May 8, 2024. He was 89 years old.
Cutillo was born Sept. 21, 1934, in Mansfield, Mass. He served in the U.S. Navy being discharged in 1956 and soon after he married his childhood sweetheart, Joann. They were together for 68 years.
Joann remembers visiting Arizona and Fountain Hills in the early 1970s encouraged by her brother who was in sales with McCulloch Properties, the developer of Fountain Hills. She remembers they planned to relocate to the community after retirement. However, John decided in 1977 they should just make the move. After coming to Arizona he owned Sun Valley Waste, a trash collection company.
