George "Hutch" William Hutchens

Hutch is survived by wife Mary Hutchens; children Maura McCarthy (husband Brian Delbarba and son Hugh), Tampa; George (Bill) Hutchens (wife Lauren, daughter Margaret, son William), Ann Arbor, Mich.; John Hutchens (wife Jeannie, sons John, Brady, Cody and daughter Anna), Clearwater; Bridget Hutchens (husband Patrick Thompson), Locust Grove, Va.; sister, Marion Hutchens, Columbia, SC. He is preceded in death by his father Leo Hutchens, Waynesboro, Va, mother Elinor Lawless Hutchens, Waynesboro, Va., brother David Hutchens, Columbia, SC, and son-in-law Michael McCarthy, Bethesda, MD.

Hutch was born April 27, 1948 in Charlottesville, Va. and when he was a child his family moved to upstate New York. He graduated from Jamestown High School (NY) in 1966 and from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY with a bachelor’s degree in English in 1970.

After college he lived in Rochester, where he began a career in life insurance with Mutual of New York. His career in life insurance lasted more than 40 years, with successful periods with Dominion Life and Transamerica before retiring in 2010.

As college ended and his career was beginning, he met and fell in love with Mary Lantry. They married at St. Thomas More Church in Brighton, NY.

Hutch would become the father of four children, never wavering in his support and encouragement for them to believe in themselves and to live their lives how they wanted. His career (and a preference for warm air) brought the family first from New York to Pennsylvania and New Jersey and later, in 1995, to Tampa, FL, for an executive position with Transamerica.

Through the years Hutch would move in and out of different interests and hobbies; he caught the running bug in the 1970s, which took him on a mini-career of road race directing and officiating, including races that began with his own imagination and organization skills and became successful — the Pitman Freedom Four Miler (still held each July 4th in Pitman, NJ) and the New Jersey 10-Miler. He later became interested in local politics, holding office on Borough Council in Pitman.

He was loved for his ability to lead family in song. With guitar perched on his knee, taking all requests (but no repeats) at standing-room only family Thanksgiving gatherings, he will be remembered best for leading epic singalongs and his warm welcoming gesture — a bowl of homemade “Arrival Chowder.” Family and friends would arrive from the cold and be greeted by Hutch, ladel in one hand, apron around the waist, handing them a steaming bowl of seafood chowder. In retirement, Hutch kept cooking and finding fresh business ideas, again originating from his sense of creativity and opportunity, starting a wine wholesale business that connected vineyards in Virginia and New York to Tampa restaurants.

Calling hours are scheduled for 5-8 pm on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 at Blount & Curry Life Event Center, 605 S. MacDill Ave., Tampa, FL.

A funeral is scheduled for 10 am on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 509 N. Florida Ave., Tampa. Fr. Michael P. Jones will officiate the ceremony. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Hutch’s life.

To make a memorial donation in Hutch’s name, please send donations to:

Sacred Heart Catholic Church

PO Box 1524

Tampa, FL 33601-1524

Attn: Building Fund/North Campus Kitchen