Robert "Hutch" William Hutchison

He was born March 7, 1944, to Frank R. Hutchison and Ramona Whitesell Hutchison in Austin, Texas. He grew up in Austin, attending Austin public schools and graduating from Wm. B. Travis High School in 1962. While in school, he was active in band, football, track, and choir. After high school, he attended the University of Texas, where he was a member of the Longhorn Band, playing French horn. It was there that he met Kathy Wailes, his future wife.

Bill and Kathy were married at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Austin on February 19, 1966. Bill worked as an accounting clerk for the Texas Highway Department, while Kathy sold sheet music for J.R. Reed’s Music Store in Austin. In early March of 1966, they moved to Lake Jackson, Texas, where Bill obtained employment in the Data Processing Department of the Dow Chemical Company as a computer operator. Over the years, Bill progressed through the ranks as a programmer, systems analyst, systems specialist, and systems engineer, working on IBM mainframes, DEC minicomputers and PCs. When Dow decided to contract those areas of the business, he worked for first EDS, then IBM, supporting the network for Dow and finally retiring after 41 years as a Network Architect.

In his spare time, Bill played French horn with the Brazosport Symphony and Gulf Winds Quintet, and sang in the Houston Symphony Chorus, the Houston Masterworks Chorus, the Gulf Coast Masterworks Chorus, and the St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church Chancel Choir.

Bill is preceded in death by his parents and his wife of 55 years, Kathy. He is survived by son Chris Hutchison (Andrea), daughter Jennifer Stutterheim (Dan), grandchildren Ben, Allison, Gracie, Carter, and Keaton, and great-grandson Liam.

A memorial service will be held on March 22 at 10:00 am at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Lake Jackson. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, Brazosport Symphony Orchestra, or the organization where you met Bill.