Evangeline Lillian Hutson

Evangeline Lillian Hutson (née Marshburn) passed away peacefully in Baltimore, Maryland, at the age of 96. She lived a long, full, and joyful life, marked by resilience, adventure, and deep devotion to her family and friends.

Evangeline was born on December 18, 1929, in Baltimore, Maryland, to Lillian Smith Marshburn and Clarence Marshburn. She spent her earliest years in Baltimore alongside her younger brother, Howard James Marshburn. As a small child, she attended kindergarten under the instruction of Norma Arica Marshall—mother of the future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall—a detail Evangeline carried with pride throughout her life.

At six years old, Evangeline moved with her family to New York, where she was raised and later graduated from Seward Park High School. In 1950, she married Clarence Duke McGann, and in 1952 the couple welcomed a son, Clarence Steven McGann. The family remained in New York until 1961, when Evangeline and Clarence Duke McGann divorced.

That same year, Evangeline made a bold move west, relocating to Los Angeles, California—the place she would call home for the majority of her life. In 1970, she married Byron Hutson, who predeceased her in 1978. In California, Evangeline built a long career as a legal secretary at the law firm Nossaman LLP. She brought the same warmth, sharpness, and dedication to her professional life that defined her personal relationships.

Evangeline was, above all, a socialite in the truest and warmest sense of the word. She was an avid and competitive bowler, participating in tournaments well into her later years, and she never met a dance floor she didn’t love. She adored cruises, music, and travel, journeying all over the world—with Australia holding a special place in her heart as her favorite destination.

For four decades, Evangeline was a devoted member of the Sociables, a close-knit social club of nine women whose friendship endured for forty years. She was an active and beloved presence in the lives of her friends and their families, and she cherished her friendships with singer Lorez Alexandria and artist Evangeline Montgomery, among many others who were lucky enough to know her.

Evangeline was preceded in death by her brother, Howard James Marshburn, her first husband, Clarence Duke McGann, her second husband, Byron Hutson, her son, Clarence Steven McGann, and her grandson, Steven Bryce McGann.

She is survived by her grandchildren, Leyland Seth McGann, Bethany Lauren McGann, Bradford Warren McGann, and Benjamin Vance Stevenson McGann, her daughter-in-law, Bertra Bradford McGann, bonus daughters Patricia Ann Green and Mary Elizabeth Huff, and numerous other family members, both those by blood and those chosen. The family is grateful for the care and love provided to Evangeline by Cynthia Dedmon and the staff at Pleasant Gardens Assisted Living, her cousin Linda Bryant, and her dear friends at the Randallstown Pavillion Co-Op.

Evangeline’s zest for life, her enthusiasm on the dance floor, and her boundless love for her family and friends leave behind a legacy that will not be forgotten. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered by all who had the joy of knowing her.

A prayer service and committal will take place at Columbia Gardens Cemetery, 3411 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201 on Saturday, July 25th at 11:00 AM with a Repast afterward in the cemetery’s event center.