Louise Humphrey Hutchinson of Charlotte, NC passed away on Friday, February 9, 2018 at Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte. She was 89. She is survived by her children, Linda Hutchinson (husband Stephen Stoeckel), Elizabeth Link (husband Henry Link), and Gerald Hutchinson Jr. (wife Leslie Kausch); grandsons, Dylan Smith and Daniel Hutchinson-Kausch; brother, Gary Mitchell Humphrey; and devoted companion Glenn Beasley. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 44 years, Gerald “Gerry” Hutchinson; her sisters, Ella Mae Brigham, Lois Humphrey, Juanita West, Carlene Tucker; and her brother, Herman Humphrey. She was a member of Hawthorne Lane Methodist Church.
Louise was born October 6, 1928 in Rockingham, NC, one of seven children of Nathan Carlyle Humphrey and Rose Ella Dawkins Humphrey. Upon graduating from Rockingham High in 1946, she moved to Charlotte and enrolled at Mercy Hospital School of Nursing. After graduation, she worked at the Emergency Room at Mercy Hospital and did private home nursing.
After she married Gerry, Louise insisted that she wouldn’t stay at home and be a housewife - she wanted to continue her nursing career. And so she did, working for another 3 years in a doctor’s office, until she was too pregnant with her first child to move around the examining table.
For the next 16 years, she was a full-time mother and housewife. When her husband was suddenly disabled, she assumed head-of-house duties, handling the family financial and legal matters. She also renewed her nursing license and went back to work, first at the Presbyterian Hospital ER, then in outpatient surgery.
When a doctor came in to the Presbyterian outpatient department with a new medical device he had purchased, her intellectual curiosity led her to learn about the equipment, and she volunteered to assist in the use of the endoscope. This made her the first nurse in the fledgling endoscopy department at Presbyterian. As the department grew over the years, her work ethic and attention to detail contributed to her rise to head nurse in the department. Her sense of humor, and motherly affection for her staff, earned her the nickname of “Ma Hutch.”
Louise was active in the Society of Gastrointestinal Nurses and Associates, for which she served as regional president in the 1980’s. SGNA conferences allowed her and Gerry to travel to New Orleans, San Francisco, and other exciting destinations. She and Gerry took classes together in art and photography. They were avid bridge players, and enjoyed getting together with friends for a hand or two. Louise retired from Presbyterian in 1992 to spend time with Gerry.
After Gerry passed away two years later, Louise filled her time with volunteer work and travel. At her church, she performed weekly blood pressure checks for fellow parishioners, and was the program director for the “Young at Heart” club. She assisted with blood donations at the American Red Cross, and volunteered at Discovery Place and the Nature Museum, also serving as president of the Discovery Place and Nature Museum Guild. She received the President’s Volunteer Service Award from President George W. Bush in 2008. As a retired R.N., she continued to participate in the comprehensive Women’s Health Study conducted by Harvard Medical School. With friends, Louise traveled to the Grand Canyon, and took a cruise to Alaska. When she moved to Aldersgate retirement community in 2010, she decided to just enjoy life and let everyone else do the work, after years of taking the reins of nearly every organization she joined.
Glenn Beasley was a friend and companion of Louise before they both moved to Aldersgate. Her family is grateful for Glenn’s care and devotion to their mother, especially as her memory began to fail. Special thanks to the staff at Cuthbertson Village at Aldersgate, whose affection and expert care made a big difference in the quality of Louise’s life in her final years.
A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, February 21 at 3:30 PM, at Harry & Bryant, 500 Providence Rd. in Charlotte. The family will greet friends immediately following the service. Burial will be private.
Memorials, if preferred to flowers, may be given to two causes: Discovery Place (www.discoveryplace.org), which was important to Louise, or to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org).
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