JERALD (JERRY) NEAL HUTCHINS
November 13, 1937 ˜ December 21, 2021

Jerald (Jerry) Neal Hutchins, beloved father, grandfather, and great grandfather, passed away the morning of December 21, 2021, joining his beloved wife Mary of 61 years, who preceded him in death last December. Remembered as a jovial, fun-loving jokester, Jerry also had a lifelong love of nature and was also described as dedicated and extremely loyal to his beloved wife, his family, and friends.

Born on November 13, 1937 in Albuquerque, New Mexico to parents Art and Helen Hutchins, Jerry was the middle of three boys. Jerry's mother Helen often shared a great story of Jerry's childhood jokester antics from one of their family road trips. While driving, Jerry and his older brother Van convinced their younger brother Lee to throw everything from one of their suitcases out the window of the car! Clothes and other belongings were strewn for miles along the highway, and the family had to go back to collect their things along this long stretch of road.

Pursuing his love of nature and the preservation of natural spaces, Jerry attended Colorado State University studying Forestry Management on an ROTC scholarship. In college, Jerry met the love of his life, Mary Parsons, on a blind date. Continuing his prankster ways, early in his relationship with Mary, Jerry told her a wild story about how he'd gotten the shock of white hair on his scalp. He told Mary he'd been part of the border patrol and that bandits had shot at him, grazing his scalp! He claimed when the hair grew back in, it was white. Mary believed his story, until he explained he was joking and his white hair patch was actually simply the result of a birthmark. Mary and Jerry both graduated college on June 5, 1959 and married just two days later in Colorado Springs, CO on June 7, 1959.

After graduation, Jerry and Mary moved to Taos, New Mexico for a few months while waiting for Jerry's post-college military service to begin. In Taos, Jerry served as a Jr. Forester for the Carson National Forest. Early in their marriage, Jerry jokingly told Mary that if she wanted to cut onions without crying, she needed to put a matchstick in her mouth and light it. As she did throughout their life together, Mary once again fell for Jerry's good-natured joking. In early 1960, Jerry and Mary moved to Fort Benning, GA for Jerry's infantry officer's training with the US military, and then to Fort Ord, CA. At Fort Ord, Jerry and Mary's little family doubled in size over the next few years as they welcomed their first two daughters, Lisa in 1960 and Laura in 1962, into their lives. During the Bay of Pigs incident, the army considered deploying Jerry, but because he was due to be discharged the following year, Jerry narrowly avoided being deployed. Jerry completed his military commitment in 1962, and so rejoined the Forest Service with the Tonto National Forest in Mesa, Arizona as a staff member and part of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) team. While in Mesa, Mary gave birth to their third child and first son, Michael, in 1964.

Next, Jerry's forestry career turned toward the US Forest Service's two Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers (JCCC) in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, where he served as the Work Program Officer at the Heber site from 1965-1967 and as the Center Director for the Alpine site from 1967-1969. During this time, Mary gave birth to daughters Julie in 1965 and Susan in 1967. The purpose of JCCCs are to strengthen communities by helping people complete their high school educations, training them for meaningful careers, and helping them find employment opportunities, which allowed Jerry to tie together his passion for forestry with his desire to support his community.

In 1969, Jerry and family moved back to Mesa, AZ, where Jerry became a District Ranger for the Tonto National Forest. During his service at Tonto while fighting wildland fires with his team, a boulder rolled over his foot, which was only saved from serious injury because he happened to be standing on soft soil! In 1971, Jerry took a position as a Staff Officer at the US Forest Service's Regional Office in Albuquerque, NM. His children now older, Jerry joined the YMCA Indian Guides (now YMCA Adventure Guides) with son Mike, at one point making him drums from hollowed out logs as a project together. He'd take Mike and sometimes his girls to baseball and hockey games, a favorite team being the minor league baseball team the Albuquerque Dukes. Always the practical joker, when his car's radiator blew and he ran into the house exclaiming to his family what had happened, they didn't believe him until he turned around and they saw the burns on his face! The family then spent an afternoon together in the ER as Jerry's burns were treated. If work ever took Jerry away from his family during important events for his kids, Jerry made sure to make it up to them with special time together. Once, he missed a father/daughter event with his daughter Laura due to work commitments, and so when he was home, he took Laura out for ice cream sundaes together to spend their own father/daughter time together. While living in Albuquerque, Jerry took his family camping for the first time to the Holy Ghost Campground outside of Santa Fe, NM, where he had camped as a child. To the family's dismay, their first night was spent cold and wet when an unexpected rainstorm drenched their canvas tent, leaking into the tent and soaking their sleeping bags. They had brought a cake along on their trip to celebrate Susan's birthday, but in the night, a skunk had chewed through the cooler and eaten Susan's cake! Not to be beaten by the elements, on their next camping trip to Holy Ghost, Jerry dug a trench around their tent to divert any unexpected rainstorms and brought bunk bed cots for the kids to keep them dry. As the children got older, Jerry and Mary took the family on road trips together, and as an early bird, Jerry always got the family up and moving for trips as early as 2-3 am! They would pack plenty of snacks and lunch, stop for Jerry to take a nap before dinner, and then eat dinner out together on the road.

In 1973, the family made their way to Reedsport, Oregon in the Pacific Northwest when Jerry started working as an Area Ranger with the Siuslaw National Forest and Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. As part of his job, he would regularly complete site checks along the Oregon Dunes, and during one check, he found an enormous Japanese fishing float, which he proudly displayed for years in their home. Another time, Jerry came upon a small beach grass fire, and he invited his children to help him put out the fire safely, earning them all Junior Firefighter Badges.

Next, the family moved to Vancouver, Washington when Jerry became the Staff Officer for the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The home they purchased in Vancouver eventually became their retirement home years later. In 1979, Jerry returned to working with the Siuslaw National Forest as the Deputy Forest Supervisor, and the family moved to Corvallis, Oregon. In Corvallis, Jerry developed a love for gardening, and tended lovingly to his little garden of tomatoes and corn in the yard. During this time, Jerry and Mary's oldest daughter, Lisa, gave birth to their first grandchild, Michael, and they were both thrilled to become grandparents. Over the next several years, Jerry and Mary became grandparents to 12 more children, and when the family was together, Jerry always had a little grandchild in his arms. When daughter Julie and her spouse Roberto brought their daughter Lily to visit, sisters Julie and Laura bet that either Mary or younger sister Susan would be the first to want to hold the baby. Both were wrong though when Jerry was the first to scoop up little grandbaby Lily! To celebrate his new grandchildren, Jerry took on a new hobby making fishing rods as gifts for his children and each new grandchild.

In 1984, Jerry became the Forest Supervisor for the Eldorado National Forest, and so he moved to Placerville, California, and Mary joined him in 1985 after their youngest, Susan, graduated high school. During Jerry's work for Eldorado, their team found bald eagles nesting in a campsite, which was extremely exciting because this was the furthest south bald eagles had ever been recorded nesting. They shut down part of the campsite to protect the eagles, and while campsite goers were not pleased, the eagles successfully raised their chicks, which was what Jerry and his team hoped for. For Jerry's 50th birthday in 1987, Mary carefully planned a surprise trip for him to Hawaii! She saved money for the trip by opening a daycare, and while Jerry was initially unenthusiastic about the trip, when he visited the Hawaiian beaches, he fell in love with them, and spent hours every day at the beach.

Jerry's final position with the US Forest Service before retiring was as the Team Leader for the Spotted Owl Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) project out of Portland, OR. The family moved back to their house in Vancouver, WA, and Jerry rode the bus to work in Portland every day. The Spotted Owl ESI project's goal was to determine if this species could survive without the old growth forests in Oregon and Washington. Jerry spent a great deal of time at the Washington state capitol as well as in Washington DC discussing this project with lawmakers, and ultimately, the team recommended that it was necessary to project old growth forests in the Pacific Northwest for the survival of the spotted owl. Jerry retired in 1993, and on his final bus ride, his fellow passengers threw him a 'bus party' on his way into Portland. In December 1994, a federal judge upheld the spotted owl protection ruling, ensuring this species and old growth forests would be available for us to enjoy for many years to come, thanks to Jerry and his team.

In Vancouver, Jerry began tending roses and took great pride in caring for his lawn. His lawn hosted many croquet games for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren over the years. In 1992, Jerry and Mary began hosting annual family reunions in Lincoln City, Oregon over New Year's every year, an annual family tradition that lasted 25 years. Jerry loved spending time with his family, teaching his grandchildren to fly kites on the beach and, on one occasion, helping rescue a gaggle of grandchildren from a sneaker wave! He also loved visiting the Chinook Winds Casino to play blackjack.

In 2009, Jerry and Mary invited all their family to Disneyland to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Their children made special family t-shirts for the occasion, and everyone had a wonderful time celebrating Jerry and Mary's love together.

Jerry's life was filled with a great love for his family and friends, with a special place in his heart for babies, his grandkids, and his great-grandkids. While much of who he was can be shared through stories of his work with the US Forest Service and anecdotes of his family life, there were so many more things that made Jerry unique and beloved. Jerry was always busy - building model ships, working on his gardens, making fishing rods - or he was asleep! His children said Jerry could nap anywhere. He taught his grandchildren to play poker with pennies and candy. Jerry loved watching football, and his kids developed their love for the game from him, although they didn't all share his love for his favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry loved grilling burgers for his family, a tradition he started when his children were young to give Mary a break from cooking dinner on Saturdays. He used humor to seal relationships.  He made us laugh with funny plays on people's names, recited a silly limerick questioning why "a grasp in the ass was a goose" and always started large gatherings with "At ease!", which was code for "eyes on me".  His warm intent was genuine; he could lighten somber moments. Jerry had nicknames for everyone, until his family got too large to remember 2 names for each person! Jerry loved dogs, and had one canine member of the family for many years until his last dog, Bailey passed away. Jerry couldn't stand the heartbreak of losing his dogs, but he still loved seeing his children's and grandchildren's dogs when they visited.

Jerry used his talents and abilities to impact lives. Through his church, the First United Methodist Church in Vancouver, Jerry was an active volunteer in the community, joining groups who completed repair projects for local nonprofits and low income families as well as supporting the Ocean Park Camp & Retreat Center through building and repair projects, a Christian camp that hosts kids camps and adult retreat groups. He led a chapter of Military Officers of World Wars even though he was not in a World War.  He made time for others, especially family. After Mary survived two bouts with breast cancer, Jerry began making and donating his fishing rods to Casting for Recovery, a fly fishing program that supports breast cancer survivors, and Project Healing Waters, a fly fishing program that supports wounded veterans. Over the next two decades, Jerry crafted and donated 450 fishing rods to these two organizations. He was a true friend, was solid ground, and a safe place for many. Everyone Jerry touched was better because of his big heart.

Jerry and Mary's love for each other was what every young couple hopes their relationship will become. They loved each other deeply and unconditionally and were a perfect balance for each other. Jerry grounded Mary's wild adventurous spirit, and Mary helped Jerry see the magic in the world around them. Jerry regularly teased his wife, and Mary always fell for his silly jokes, making them both laugh. She would gently swat at his arm, calling Jerry "Bear", her nickname for him after Smokey the Bear, the US Forest Service's wildfire prevention mascot. Toward the end of their lives, Jerry became Mary's caregiver, always willing to go to the end of the earth for her.

Jerry faced several medical battles later in life, including prostate cancer that went undiagnosed and untreated for 2 years after his doctors changed and his test results fell through the cracks. Luckily, once addressed, Jerry went through treatment and went into remission. In October 2019, Jerry and Mary moved to Glenwood Place Senior Living in Vancouver, WA to provide added support for Mary as her health declined. In May 2020, Mary was moved to the Glenwood Memory Care unit, and ever the loving and committed spouse, Jerry was sure to visit her every day until her passing on December 14. In May 2021, Jerry contracted COVID and was hospitalized, having developed both bacterial and viral pneumonia at the same time. Doctors shared that the COVID vaccinations he'd completed in 2020 had saved his life. Unfortunately, after Jerry's discharge, he continued experiencing significant mental fog from COVID, and needed to move into the Glenwood's Memory Care unit for additional support where his wife had lived the year prior. Jerry's family continued to visit him regularly through the end of his life, and he was extremely excited to learn 3 of his grandchildren were expecting their own children in 2021 and 2022.

Jerry is preceded in death by his beloved wife Mary Elizabeth (Parsons) Hutchins, his parents Art and Helen, and his brother Lee. He is survived by his brother Van Hutchins; children Lisa (Tom) Walker, Laura (Mark) Peasley, Michael (Alice) Hutchins, Julie (Roberto Anitori) Hutchins-Anitori, and Susan (Chris) Strizver; 13 grandchildren; 6 great-grandchildren; and 2 great-grandchildren on the way.

Jerry's family would like to again thank the wonderful staff at Glenwood Place Senior Living for their care and support of Jerry and Mary over the past two years. The Hutchins family will hold a joint memorial celebration for both Jerry and Mary around what would be their 63rd anniversary in June 2022, a final celebration of their lifelong deep love and commitment to one another. Family and friends will be informed of the memorial celebration plans at a later date. Condolences can be sent to any of Jerry and Mary's 5 children, Lisa, Laura, Michael, Julie, or Susan. Jerry would greatly appreciate donations made in his name to Casting for Recovery or Project Healing Waters, two organizations he's supported for many years by handcrafting fishing rods for donation; the National Multiple Sclerosis Society; or his church, the First United Methodist Church of Vancouver, WA.

While the family grieves the loss of Jerry here on earth, we celebrate Jerry's reunion with his beloved wife Mary in the afterlife. May we all learn to love and deeply, fiercely, and strongly as Jerry and Mary Hutchins.