John Biotti named Utah Knight of the Year

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John Biotti, pictured with his wife Christine, was surprised to be chosen as the Knight of the Year, he said.

LAYTON — John Biotti has been the financial secretary for Knights of Columbus Council 6010 at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Layton for 14 years. The job tends to be behind the scenes and often goes unnoticed, so hearing his name called as Utah Knight of the Year at the annual banquet was unexpected, he said.

“I’m pretty active in our local council, but from a state perspective, I thought there was a lot of guys that probably should have deserved it more,” he said. “I really felt appreciated that I got it, but I was pretty surprised.”

“It’s not a job that a lot of guys like,” said Biotti, who took over the position after his predecessor passed away. “I had quite a mess to figure out, but I just enjoyed it. I got everything straightened out and I understood what I was doing. I just enjoyed it and just kept doing it.”

According to his nomination, Biotti does the job particularly well.

“He always performs his duties in an exemplary fashion,” it said.  “He rarely gets frustrated when he has to depend on council members to comply with a request so he can get his reports sent in. He participates in almost all of his council’s events, including the two-a-month rosaries.”  

John Biotti is a model Knight, “upholding the tenets of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism,” stated the nomination, written by Past State Deputy Andy Airriess. “He is a good recruiter, asking parishioners if they know about the Knights and explaining what it is we do; he assists me on recruiting drives at parish events.”

Originally from Idaho, Biotti retired from the Air Force in 1997 and worked as a civilian at Hill Air Force Base for 15 years. Biotti and his wife, Christine, have four children between them (it’s a second marriage for both) and 13 grandchildren.

Originally a member of the Baptist Church, Biotti was accepted into the Catholic Church shortly after he began participating with Christine. 

“Once I started attending, I just felt real comfortable,” he said. “I never really had a faith before, but I’ve always just been open to it. I’d just never done it.”

He has been a member of the Knights of Columbus since August 2012.

“I knew some people that were Knights,” he said. “I knew I was getting close to retirement, and I wanted to do something that I felt useful. Once I got done [working] I just wanted to do something to help people, and I’ve had a great time doing it ever since.”

In the past Biotti has served his parish as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion and an usher at Masses. However, these days his primary focus is caring for his wife, who is facing some health issues. Nevertheless, he still finds time to serve his council. 

Being a Knight of Columbus is a tremendous opportunity to help other people, he said.

“If you’re looking to serve people, I don’t think you’re going to find a better organization. We do all kinds of different things for different people and it’s very satisfying. If you’re trying to support the community, I don’t think there’s a better way to do it.”