Marilyn Kae Hutchison

Marilyn Kae Hutchison, 89, passed away at Sharp Memorial Hospital, San Diego after a long illness. She was born in Colfax, Washington to Stanley (an electrician and all around handyman) and Clara (Colburn) Hathaway (a nurse and home maker who never met a stranger). Roberta, her sister, died before Marilyn was born. She remained an only child, watched over closely and never allowed to climb trees. Raised during the Recession, she learned to be frugal and never threw many things away. She is survived by her husband of 65 years, James A, Hutchison, III, their daughters Vicki (husband Michael Otto) and Julie, and son James IV (wife Stacy Wallace); their granddaughters Sierra Otto, Kelsi Otto and Molly Hutchison.

Marilyn was raised in Pullman,WA and graduated from Washington State University in 1955 with a bachelors degree in Business Education. She met her husband there while they were both working part time for the City of Pullman during school. She was secretary to the City Supervisor down stairs and he was a surveyor, draftsman for the City Engineer upstairs. The survey equipment was in a closet across from the City Supervisor’s office. She noticed that whenever Jim came down to get equipment or return it, he would look in at her, so she decided to find out who this red headed guy was. She was president of her sorority (Alpha Delta Pi) and he was president of his fraternity (Sigma Chi) and found that they had several close friends in common. After graduation they married and stayed working full time for the city until he was ordered to active duty as a second lieutenant with the Army Corps of Engineers.

They spent time in Arlington, Virginia (Fort Belvoir) and then in Tacoma, Washington (Fort Lewis) where she had many relatives and friends. After active duty, they moved to Covina, CA where their son and daughters were born. They made several good friends who continued to stay in contact when the later left Covina. It was there that Marilyn developed a love for hiking and travel to some of the many beautiful and interesting spots in the US, especially California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Utah, and Wyoming. As hooked genealogists, they also spent time later in libraries and cemeteries in Washington, Idaho, Massachusetts, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Iowa.

They moved to El Cajon in 1972 where she continued to encourage and be supportive of their children’s truly varied activities and learning. Her favorite times were those spent with friends and family, whether it was sharing a meal, going for a hike or a stroll, playing games, or attending concerts in the park. She was an excellent cook and her pot roast couldn’t be beat. Pinochle was a livelong game of choice and jig saw puzzles were often in play on a table until they got a special game board. One of her favorite foods was chocolate. This spanned from hand selected See’s candy to home made fudge and nut clusters to a scoop of 31 flavors German chocolate cake ice cream on a cone.

She enjoyed making crafts, tole painting and quilting. She especially enjoyed gardening and finding new or interesting plants or trees in nurseries or on hikes. She brought four dwarf citrus trees in 30-inch square pots with her when she was “forced” to move from smoggy Covina to El Cajon. She enjoyed watching and identifying wild birds. There were several bird feeders outside her kitchen window that kept her entertained over the years. Also challenged to keep the squirrels from eating the bird seed. Whenever a spider came into the house (or actually anywhere it might be endangered), she would grab a piece of paper for it to climb on and gently put it on a plant outside. That was Marilyn.

A visitation for Marilyn will be held Wednesday, April 6, 2022 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at El Camino Memorial - Sorrento Valley, 5600 Carroll Canyon Rd, San Diego, CA 92121. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM, 5600 Carroll Canyon Rd, San Diego, CA 92121. A graveside service will occur Wednesday, April 6, 2022 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at El Camino Memorial Park, 5600 Carroll Canyon Rd, San Diego, CA 92121.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.sorrentovalleychapel.com for the Hutchison family.