Jean Hutchins

Jean Dee Hutchins

June 26, 1932 — Dec. 26, 2012

Jean Dee Hutchins went home to be with the Lord peacefully on Dec. 26, 2012.

He was born June 26, 1932 to Dovie Mae Cash Hutchins and Elam Roferlson Hutchins in Port Aransas, Texas. He went to high school in Port Aransas until he had to drop out to help support his family.

He shipped out to sea on his first tanker as a wiper in 1948. He joined the Army in 1950 and served 18 months until a bomb exploded close to him and blew out his ear drums.

He went back to the sea and worked his way up, license by license, on the engineering side of merchant marine ships, until he was chief engineer.

He married his wife, Dolores, in 1955 in New Orleans, La., and their daughter, Pamela, was born there in 1956. He sailed around the world many times and served on 50 ships until he retired on Oct. 21, 1998.

Along the way, he has called home; Aransas Pass, Texas, Rockport, Texas, Seattle, Wash., and Federal Way, Wash. He and Dolores moved to Friday Harbor on June 2, 2009.

He enjoyed church activities with the men at Islands Community Church, helping others, and doing island things with his daughter, Pamela.

He is preceded in death by brothers E. R. Hutchins, Jr., Roy Wayne Hutchins, and Thomas Charles Hutchins. He is also preceded in death by his sister, Dovie Mae Aldridge, his niece, Dorothy Daze, and his nephew, Donald Bright.

He is survived by his wife, Dolores Hutchins, his daughter, Pamela Hutchins, his nieces, Angela Hutchins and America Chavez, and his nephews, Thom Hutchins and Charlie Rose.

Graveside services will be held Jan. 5, at noon, at the San Juan Valley Cemetery, followed by a memorial service, at 2 p.m., at Islands Community Church.

— Family of Jean Dee Hutchins