James Paul Hutchison, Sr.

After graduating high school in Kilgore, Texas, he attended Texas A&M University in College Station. Jim was a member of the elite Ross Volunteers his senior year, where he earned the nickname “Doc”, providing care to his fellow corpsmen while on the road. Immediately following graduation, Jim served stateside as a Captain in the US Airforce for two years. He returned to A&M and obtained a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering. His engineering career began at Monsanto in Texas City. In 1967 he accepted a position with Baytown Engineering Company and moved his family to Baytown. He quickly became a partner in the firm, now known as Busch, Hutchison & Associates, Inc. After his retirement, the company continues to serve Greater Southeast Texas.

Jim was an accomplished athlete. While attending Kilgore High School, he was the captain of the wrestling team, captain of the football team, and ran track. In college Jim continued to compete in wrestling, and his squad was the Intramural Athletic Champion. A lifelong board member of the YMCA, Jim played racquetball daily, jogged miles each morning, coached a girls gymnastics team, and his son’s little league team. Jim wanted to learn how to sail, so he visited the library, checked out a few books, joined the Houston Yacht Club and bought a small sailboat!

Jim was an outstanding engineer. He was recognized numerous times through the years for his work and was awarded Outstanding Engineer of TSPE in 1965, 1968, 1977 and 1991.

Jim was a nature enthusiast and earned a Backyard Wildlife Habitat award from the National Wildlife Foundation for creating a beautiful wildlife sanctuary at his home.

Jim and his family joined Westminster Presbyterian Church in 1967. He served as a Sunday School teacher, and elder for many years. In 1968, Jim was contracted to Esso Eastern to instruct Pakistani engineers in the construction, maintenance and management of a fertilizer plant. He and his family moved to Daharki, Pakistan where they were able to travel extensively throughout Europe and Eastern Asia.

In 2007, Jim’s wife of 50 years passed away and in 2009 he met his darling Darlene, and they have been blissfully married for 15 years.

Jim was preceded in death by his wife, Pat M. Hutchison. He is survived by his wife, Darlene Hutchison and four children, Robin and Eric Slagle, Dana and Jerry Gainer, Marney Essoh and Jim and Nicole Hutchison, Jr., two stepchildren, Jeanna and Wesley Bamburg and Clay Williams, honorary daughter, Nuria Lyles, eighteen grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be held from 9-10 am, Friday, November 14, 2025, at Navarre Funeral Home, 2444 Rollingbrook Dr., Baytown, Texas 77521, with the memorial service to follow and begin at 10 am.

In lieu of flowers the family would love to have donations made to the Baytown library or to Faith Presbyterian Church.