Jake C. Hutchins

Jay Cornelius (Jake) Hutchins, age 91, passed away at home on Wednesday, November 24, 2021, where he lived with his beloved wife of 53 years, Gail Donaldson Marsden Hutchins. His devoted family surrounded him at the time of his passing.

A native of Athens, Jake was the son of the late Joshua Cornelius (Jake) Hutchins, Jr., Edith (Edie) Pittman Hutchins Cox, and stepson of former Georgia Senator Julian Hoyt Cox.

Jake graduated from the Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia, in 1948. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Georgia in December 1953, where he was a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity. Jake entered the United States Air Force in January 1954 and served as a pilot until he was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain in 1957. He served as a Reserve at the Dobbins Air Force Base in Marietta, Georgia, for the next two years.

The Hutchins-Cox families were prominent in Athens for years in the insurance and real estate industries. After serving in World War I, Jake's father joined the family business of Lipscomb & Co. (est. 1890), and the name was changed to Lipscomb, Dearing & Hutchins in 1929. Jake's father brought in Julian Cox in 1937, and the name was changed to Hutchins & Cox. After Jake's father's death, Mr. Cox brought in William (Bill) Stroud. In 1945, the name was changed to Hutchins, Cox & Stroud. Jake joined the family business in 1957 after his service in the Air Force. Lee Pierson joined the firm, and the name was later changed to Hutchins, Cox, Stroud & Pierson in 1968. Jake served as vice president and chief financial officer of the company until 2002, when the insurance division was sold to Boswell Insurance Group. Jake continued to work in an advisory capacity until his retirement at age 80.

Jake served as president of the Athens YMCA board of directors and a member of the Athens Country Club board of directors. He was a former member of the Athens City Club and Athens Jaycees, and he served on community committees to determine the placement of the landfill and the prison. Jake was a founding member and president of the Lake Seed Association of Rabun County and instrumental in founding the Lake Seed Preservation Land Trust.

In 1968, Jake married Gail Donaldson Marsden, the widow of the late Robert Edward (Bob) Marsden of Athens and became stepfather to her four young children. In 1970, Jake and Gail welcomed their twins.

Jake enjoyed playing golf, handball, and racquetball. He was a self-made architect and builder. A lover of nature and adventure, Jake and Gail were avid horseback riders and extensively covered the trails of North Georgia and the Great Smoky Mountains, and the Chattahoochee National Forest.

Jake loved American western films, folklore, ballads, and poetry. He was known for his humor, "Jakeisms," and charming "southern drawl" and often recited poems such as "The White Magnolia Tree" by Helen Hayes, "John Brown's Body" by Stephen Vincent Benét, and "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" by Robert W. Service.

Jake is survived by his wife, Gail Donaldson Marsden Hutchins, stepsister Ann Cox Kemp Cabaniss, niece Anne Marie Bryant Robinson, and his children:  William Robert (Bob) Marsden (Joyce) of Apison, TN; Teresa Gail (Terry) Marsden Brasfield (Barry) of Old Hickory, TN; John Edward Marsden (deceased) (Debora) of Athens, GA; Michael Louis Marsden (Clara) of Carlsbad, CA; Joshua Cornelius (Josh) Hutchins III of Mt. Pleasant, SC; and Laura Rutherford Hutchins Dove (Rodney) of Bogart, GA.

Jake is also survived by eighteen (18) grandchildren:  Melissa Marsden Maples (Ralph); William Robert (Trey) Marsden III (Beth); Patricia Brasfield Lekki (Jason); Thomas Howard Holt (Amanda); Mary Brasfield Pecinovsky (Cory); Rebekah Michelle Brasfield; Jared Robert Marsden (Kim); Kathryn Elizabeth Marsden; Nicholas Brant Marsden (Jourdan); Matthew Ryan Marsden; Marianna Lucia Marsden; Joshua Cornelius (Jake) Hutchins IV; Grayson Streeter Hutchins; Emma Lou Conliff; Taylor Hutchins (Hutch) Conliff; and Ava, Rebecca, and Audrey Dove. Jake is survived by thirteen (13) great-grandchildren:  Remy and Evie Maples; Will, Ben, and Reed Marsden; Asher and Sterling Lekki; Jackson and Logan Holt; Lula and Tobin Pecinovsky; and Samantha and Molly Marsden.

Jake was preceded in death by his parents, sister Mary Ann (Bookie) Hutchins Bryant and nephew Glover Emerson (Skipper) Bryant.

On Tuesday, November 30, 2021, the family will receive friends at the Bernstein Funeral Home from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

On Wednesday, December 1, 2021, a Memorial Service celebrating Jake's life will be held at 2:00 p.m. in the Memorial Chapel of Bernstein Funeral Home.

In place of flowers, a memorial gift in honor of Jake may be made to the Athens YMCA at 915 Hawthorne Avenue, Athens 30606, or through its website at www.AthensYMCA.org or https://www.facebook.com/donate/273151448190991/

Bernstein Funeral Home oversees arrangements at www.BernsteinFuneralHome.com.