Shepherd Roy Cutler

Shep Cutler of Columbia died on Tuesday after a long illness. He was surrounded - as always - by friends, family, and his beloved wife Joni Gibson Cutler. One of the most successful insurance brokers in the country, Cutler was also a noted philanthropist, entertainer, and bon vivant.

Shepherd Roy Cutler was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1939, to Lester and Edna Levine Cutler. As a small child, he moved to Beverly Hills, California, where his father was a movie producer. After graduating, as student body president, from Beverly Hills High School, Cutler set out to make his way in the world, founding what would eventually become Cutler and Associates in 1958. Cutler's business moved him to Columbia in the 1960s, but he did not find true success until he married the former Joni Gibson, of North Charleston, in 1972. Cutler's philanthropic career was long and varied. Cutler was honored as Man of the Year by the Columbia March of Dimes in 2006. A devoted Jew, he was also a longtime board member of the Columbia Jewish Community Center and the Columbia Jewish Federation, which honored him with its Distinguished Service Award in 2012. He received the Israel 66 award in 2014, the highest award of the Development Corporation for Israel. His leadership was instrumental in the founding of the Columbia Jewish Day School. Cutler was also an ardent, (very) amateur magician, who frequently entertained friends and complete strangers as The Great Sheppini. On special occasions, Joni would allow him to saw her in half. Known for his quick wit and his vast repertoire of jokes, some of them good, Cutler acted as Master of Ceremonies for numerous charitable dinners. He was an extravagant tipper, an ardent Gamecock, and one of the best-dressed men in the South. But his joyful demeanor never diminished his status as the steady rock that so many of his friends and family members relied upon for guidance, and it is in that role that he will be most sorely missed.

He is survived by his wife of 41 years, his brother Ken and sister-in-law, Geri, also of Columbia, niece Jennifer (Todd) Fincher and their children, Owen, Ruby and Charleston, and niece Ava (Graham) Miller and their children Zachary and Harrison.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. at Beth Shalom Synagogue, 5827 Trenholm Road, Columbia SC. Interment, Arcadia Lakes Cemetery, 1401 East Arcadia Lakes, Columbia SC. Mourners are asked to dress in bright colors, in honor of Cutler's sartorial tastes.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Columbia Jewish Day School Building Fund, 5827 North Trenholm Road, Columbia, SC 29206.