Lutes was a few streets away from his Brewster home dumping wood in a field, when investigators believe he was struck by lightning as a brief storm rolled through Wednesday afternoon.
He was found by his wife of 21 years, Peggy, who became concerned after Richard didn't return home after about an hour.
"I never want to see anything like that again," Peggy said. "He was a good man, a really good man. I'm going to miss him terribly. He was my best friend."
Peggy says Richard had a pacemaker. Investigators say there was a lesion on his chest.
The Stark County coroner's office will determine the official cause of death.
According to the National Weather Service, there have been 11 lightning strike deaths in the country so far this year. If it is determined Lutes died from a strike, it will be the first case in Ohio in 2017.
Six people have died in the state since 2007, according to the NWS.
Source: AP
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