William Lane Hutchinson, Sr., M.D.

He is predeceased by his parents, brother Frank W. Hutchinson, Jr., and sister, Mary Hutchinson Holmes.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Morrill Turner Hutchinson, his three sons, Dr. William Lane Hutchinson, Jr. (Beverly), Dr. Charles Lambdin Hutchinson (Shelly) and Thomas Morrill Hutchinson, CPA, (Debbie) and grandchildren Lauren Hutchinson Bowen (Chap), Spencer Thomas Hutchinson (Brittany), Anna Hutchinson Sundarababu (Suresh), Scott Lambdin Hutchinson, Andrew Lane Hutchinson, Eric Turner Hutchinson and Michael Haywood Hutchinson. In addition he is survived by sisters, Pauline Hutchinson Smith and Sarah Hutchinson Moseley, sister-in-law Eunice Avery Hutchinson and a host of nieces and nephews. Dr. Hutchinson enjoyed a unique and loving relationship with each and every one of his close-knit family.

Dr. Hutchinson practiced medicine in LaGrange, Georgia for thirty years. He believed that every expectant mother in Troup County should have access to quality prenatal care and medical attention during labor and delivery. Concerned by the 1961 Troup County infant mortality rates and the government’s bureaucratic inertia in addressing this problem, Dr. Hutchinson decided to become active on the Citizen’s Advisory Committee for Community Action. He was one of the architects of the plan for Troup County to implement the Economic Opportunity Act of 1965, wherein all indigent pregnant would be provided with access to hospital-based obstetrical care. This was instrumental in decreasing infant mortality and maternity complications by increasing accessibility to safer hospital deliveries.

Dr. Hutchinson began his medical career in 1940 at Emory University School of Medicine. Due to the shortage of physicians during World War II, he completed medical school in three years, fulfilled his internship at Brooklyn Naval Hospital and joined the First Marine Division, 3rd Battalion in 1944. He served as a combat surgical officer on the front lines with his battalion on Okinawa and in the Pacific. Because there were so many severe, often fatal chest wounds, Dr. Hutchinson devised a rudimentary chest tube system to re-inflate the lungs, until his patient could be transported to a field hospital, thereby giving the Marine a greater chance for survival. Dr. Hutchinson received a Letter of Commendation with Ribbon for this life-saving device. Always humble, Dr. Hutchinson was embarrassed to be honored for simply taking the initiative to do what the situation required.

After the War, Dr. Hutchinson yearned to come home to the town and life he loved. He spent two years in a surgical residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania before returning to LaGrange to begin a general medicine practice. He soon recognized the need for a certified obstetrician/gynecologist in LaGrange. He moved his young family to Augusta to pursue a residency in that specialty at the Medical College of Georgia. In 1954 he became the first Board certified OB/GYN in LaGrange.

Dr. Hutchinson married Augusta Morrill Turner of McDonough, Georgia, on April 29, 1949. He was a loving husband and enthusiastic supporter of his wife and her many artistic endeavors. Together Dr. and Mrs. Hutchinson raised their three children. He was a devoted father, immensely proud of his sons, their fine character and professional achievements.

Dr. Hutchinson enjoyed a long and distinguished career. He was a published author in The Journal of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and was named the 1994 Honoree of the Clark-Holder Clinic Medical Lecture Series. He held membership in at least ten professional organizations during his medical career, among them the American Medical Association, the Medical Association of Georgia, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Georgia Obstetrical and Gynecological Society, the Board of Blue Cross–Blue Shield of Columbus, Georgia, the American Red Cross, the American Cancer Society and the Troup County Medical Society, where he served as President. Dr. Hutchinson was a founding member of West Georgia Hospice; and also served on the Board of Trustees of West Georgia Medical Center.

Dr. Hutchinson was a reflection of his Scottish ancestry; being descended from John Knox, the Reformer, and Reverend John Witherspoon, signer of the Declaration of Independence and sixth president of Princeton University. He felt called to serve. He was a life-long member of LaGrange First Presbyterian Church, where he was at that time, the youngest-ever ordained Elder. He was active in the Lions Club of LaGrange, where he served as President and was named a Melvin Jones Fellow by the Lions Club International Foundation for Dedicated Humanitarian Services. Dr. Hutchinson served on several Boards of Directors in LaGrange including the LaGrange Chamber of Commerce, the Chattahoochee Valley Art Association and the Highland Country Club. His dedication to the arts and education lives on at LaGrange College, where he served on the President’s Council and spearheaded the family’s endowment of the Pauline Witherspoon Hutchinson Chair of Music to honor their grandmother, who taught voice and piano there.

In addition to his professional and community service, he was an avid sportsman. He was a president of the Troup County Sportsman’s Club, a member of the Boone and Crocket Club, the LaGrange Bass Club and the Georgia Seniors and Georgia-Alabama Golf Associations. He won the 1978 Lake Harding Fishing Tournament, the 1984 Big Buck Trophy and bred, raised and won field trials with his champion bird dogs. He also bred and raised purebred ponies, which he donated to the Georgia Sheriffs Boys Ranch. Many people today will recount endearing tales, told by their fathers, of hunting or fishing expeditions, rounds of golf or gin rummy; time spent with a faithful friend, who will be sorely missed.

The family will have a private graveside burial. There will be a Memorial Service to celebrate his life at LaGrange First Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, March 30, 2011 at 11:00am. The family will receive visitors at Striffler-Hamby Mortuary on Tuesday, March 29, 2011 from 5-7:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to First Presbyterian Church of LaGrange or the Pauline Witherspoon Hutchinson Music Scholarship at LaGrange College (601 Broad Street, LaGrange, Ga. 30240).

Arrangements are by Striffler-Hamby Mortuary, 1010 Mooty Bridge Road. 706.884.8636 www.shlagrange.com