Gary Kenneth Hutchison

Gary Kenneth Hutchison, 66, passed away suddenly on July 26, 2024, in Raleigh, NC. He was born on February 26, 1958, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Donald Kenneth and Velma Burns Hutchison. Gary’s early life was shaped by his father’s career as an engineer with Western Electric, which took the family from Milwaukee, to Waukegan IL, to El Paso, TX, and eventually to the island of Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands. He cherished the unique experience of spending part of his childhood in Kwajalein, where his love for adventure and exploration began. After a few years on the island, the family settled in Greensboro, NC, where Gary spent the remainder of his youth and formative years.

Gary was a lifelong learner and always mechanically and technologically inclined. As a young child, he had a knack for taking apart anything he could find and putting it back together. This curiosity extended to building his own home computer in the early 1980s before it was commonplace for an individual to have one. He also had a great love for his vehicles over the years and was quite adept at working on and fixing many car issues. Gary’s inquisitive mind and passion for learning led him to explore many varied interests throughout his life. He especially loved new technology and was known to many as Inspector Gadget.

He attended NCSU and then earned an electronics certification from the Cleveland Institute of Electronics. Early in his career, Gary had the privilege of traveling the world while working for Moldow, a Danish dust extraction and fire prevention company. In 1983, he and his wife, Carol Hanks Hutchison, moved to Cary, NC, when Gary joined Siecor FiberLan and contributed significantly to the fiber optic network that would serve the Research Triangle Park. He later became a Systems Administrator at SAS Institute, where he spent nearly 25 years, bringing his enthusiasm for technology to the Research and Development team.

Gary’s love of life was reflected in his wide range of interests, and Gary made friends wherever he went. His club memberships were a testament to his passions: he was deeply involved in the Triumph Club of the Carolinas, where he cherished driving his 1973 Triumph TR-6, managing the club website, and was always ready to offer a helping hand to other members. As a devoted Harley Davidson fan, he was a long-time member of the Southern Cruisers Riding Club, and enjoyed numerous local and long-distance road trips with Carol and their friends. Gary also had a strong passion for home brewing, which he pursued with the HALF Brewers HALF Drinkers Club for many years. Gary’s friendly and engaging spirit touched many lives.

Gary and Carol shared many wonderful years of adventure together. No matter if they were traveling by car, motorcycle, or plane, Gary found joy in the journey as much as in the destination. They had a particular fondness for scenic routes and back roads, and their travels led them across the U.S. and Canada as well as to stunning destinations abroad, including England, Scotland, Germany and Spain, as well as an especially memorable but poorly timed trip to Aruba in September 2001.

Gary is survived by his wife of 43 years, Carol; daughter, Alisa Herr; grandchildren, Calvin and Wesley Herr; mother, Velma Ijames; sister, Wendy Adams (husband Bob); brother, Andy Hutchison (wife Regina); and nephew, Tyler Adams. Gary was preceded in death by his father, Donald K. Hutchison.

Gary will be remembered for his great sense of humor, his love of learning, and the joy he found in spending time with his family and friends.

A memorial service in celebration of Gary’s life will be held on Saturday, August 17, 2024, at 2 PM, at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, Cary. A Reception will follow the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his honor to the https://mikeroweworks.org/ foundation or a charity of your choice.

Memorial tributes and messages of sympathy can be left by clicking the "Add a Memory" box below. Brown Wynne of Cary is honored to serve the Hutchison family.