Campbell Cummings Hutchinson, III

Campbell Cummings Hutchinson, III, known to family and friends as Hutch, passed away January 23, 2023 at his home in New Orleans with his beloved wife Allison Stewart by his side, surrounded by the love of his family. Born November 2, 1936 in Shreveport, LA to Mary Frances Marshall and Campbell C. Hutchinson, Jr., Hutch grew up in Shreveport where he attended C.E. Byrd High School and spent summers and free time at the family farm in Caspiana, LA. Hutch followed in his father’s footsteps to graduate in 1958 from Washington & Lee University, where he was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He was a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Field Artillery Branch serving on active duty for six months and in the reserves for another seven and a half years. He was especially proud of having completed five parachute jumps to graduate from the Army Airborne School. Following his stint in active service, Hutch moved to Washington D.C. with a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship to study at the Georgetown University School of Government. A chance visit to the U.S. Supreme Court while in session had a profound impact and led him to change his career path to the practice of law, moving to New Orleans in 1960 to enroll in Tulane Law School. At Tulane, Hutch was Editor-in-Chief of the Tulane Law Review (1962-63) and a member of the Order of the Coif as well as the Omicron Delta Kappa scholastic honor society.

After graduation in 1963, he joined the law firm of Stone Pigman Benjamin where he practiced corporate law with a focus on both transactional work and litigation for 39 years. The firm changed its name to Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann and Hutchinson in 1967. Hutch was a talented and well-respected lawyer, handling mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations and other corporate matters, with an emphasis on oil and gas law. He also chaired the firm’s management committee for several years. Between 1988 and 1994, he represented the State of Louisiana in major litigation against Texaco over the underpayment of royalties. Hutch retired from Stone Pigman in 2002 but continued to practice law in the field of mediation and arbitration. In 2006, he fully retired to pursue his passion for art, a hobby he cultivated since 1987. Bold in color and stroke, Hutch was fearless with his painting, taking chances that allowed him to grow into a successful second career as an artist with twelve solo gallery openings. With the encouragement of his wife Allison, he realized art was his true calling, as it afforded him the freedom to take chances otherwise impossible within the confines of his career as a lawyer. His subject matter ranged from human and animal portraits to landscapes, yet the highlight of each year was the publication of a book of paintings accompanied by limericks, poems or quotes, ostensibly for his grandchildren but prized by many.

More important to him than any accomplishment in his professional career is KID smART, a non-profit he co-founded with his wife Allison in 1999. KID smART was formed to counter the lack of funding for art education and to promote arts-integrated learning in New Orleans public schools. Starting with one school and twenty students in 1999, KID smART has expanded to serve dozens of schools in New Orleans. Over nearly 25 years, KID smART has grown to become a multifaceted arts education program using the arts as a means to teach core curriculum subjects. It has touched the lives of thousands of children and countless educators who learned powerful new ways to connect with their students. Today, it is recognized as a national and global leader in arts-integrated education.

Hutch had a profound impact on so many lives, both personally and professionally. He quietly served as both a mentor and surrogate father to countless people in his orbit. His wisdom, wit, intelligence and kindness were treasured by more people than he could possibly count. He especially cherished time spent with his family. He valued the quality of the character of his children and grandchildren over any of their professional or personal successes (which he also celebrated vigorously). He particularly enjoyed dinners with family and friends, orchestrating raucous conversations on a range of topics including politics, science, art and sports. Filling the chair at the head of the dining room table will be a daunting task.

While he was born and raised in Louisiana, Hutch’s spiritual home was in the mountains of Colorado, where he spent as much time as he possibly could hiking, skiing and painting. Nothing pleased him more than sitting on the deck of his home in Snowmass Village, CO watching the sun sink behind the mountain while mulling thoughts of the next day’s pursuits.

Hutch is survived by his wife of 32 years Allison Stewart, two children, Robert Campbell Hutchinson (Tamara) and Adele Hutchinson Haber (Mason), and two stepchildren, Melora Stewart Parish (Josh) and Katherine Stewart Nicholson (James). He is survived by four grandchildren, Reed Campbell Hutchinson, Miranda Hutchinson Haber, Marcelle Marguerite Hutchinson and Eleanor Hutchinson Haber, as well as four step-grandchildren, Logan Hayes Parish, Sophie Katherine Nicholson, Evelyn Brooke Parish and Lila Maria Nicholson. He is also survived by his first wife, Susan Carville Hutchinson. Hutch was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Ann Hutchinson Green and his faithful feline companion, Basil.

Hutch was a tireless warrior in a 30-year battle against cancer, fighting with a strength and grace that inspired all who knew him. The family would like to express deep appreciation to Dr. Oliver Sartor and Dr. Jodi Layton as well as the entire staff of the Tulane Cancer Center for their years of support. The family would also like to thank the staff at Passages Hospice and the many caring healthcare workers who tended to Hutch in his last days and over the course of his healthcare odyssey. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to KID smART in Hutch’s memory (2533 Columbus Street Suite 201, New Orleans, LA 70119; https://www.kidsmart.org/invest-in-kid-smart). Rather than a funeral, Hutch requested that friends and family gather this spring to celebrate his life. Details of an event will be announced at a later date.

To view and sign the online guest book, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com