RIP Hutch (Houston 2/21)

[BIGUN 1,402]

Other than the motto of "Non-Ego Inflatus," that's it in a nutshell, Dave.

Bigun
SkyDog #1540

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[BIGUN 1,402]

Quote

sunset no jumpsuit load. Some giant motherfucker comes over (Bigun) and says hey man we're in! So I say great! Then this guy comes over Woof Woof Woof!!

LOL... you made me happy man. Those jumps were my favorites. We'd some BMF's rounded up chunking a big no suit 8 way and all the little bastards trying to catch us, break in and make a big fucking O.

We had so many good times at WFFC with his big mug just smiling the whole time.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[maxmadmax 8]

Quote

Don, could you (or anyone else) post some more about skydogs and their traditions? Some newer jumpers were asking me and I'm sorry to say I couldn't tell them much. Thanks!

Of Course, Woof Woof Woof.

Hutch gave me these rules during our last visit.
So now everyone has a copy from Hutch.


Damn, we all miss him.


Skydog 902

Don't go away mad....just go away!

[maxmadmax 8]

Just receive this from Hutch's email:


Hutch passed away at 4:47 a.m. Feb 20th after a long, hard battle with cancer. When he passed he was an inpatient at Houston Hospice, and due to their exceptional care his passing was very peaceful. He did not struggle and was not in any pain; he actually had a slight smile on his face.



There will be three memorial "services" to, as Hutch wanted, celebrate life; his desire for these services were among his last requests.

- The first will be for his brothers, the Tradesmen, and anyone else that wants to participate at a local ice house. If you want to come, wear your colors and be prepared for rampant toasting.

- The second will be at Sky Dive San Marcos, and it will include a missing man formation and full military honors.

- The third service will be a celebration that will honor his Buddist lineage/tradition and will include many spiritual aspects.



We, and Hutch, welcome anyone and everyone to all three services, or one if you prefer. Due to scheduling issues we do not yet have set dates, but to honor his wishes we anticipate a timeframe of mid-April. In the Spring we celebrate life and new beginnings, and that is what Hutch is all about.



For those wishing to attend all three services, we will try to have them all on one weekend, weather permitting. I know many of you will be from out of town and I will let you know the dates as soon as possible so you can make travel arrangements. Please do not send any flowers until we have set dates for the services; or, per Hutch’s wishes, you can make a donation at any time to Houston Hospice’s inpatient services at www.houstonhospice.org



From Hutch, a gentle "woof, and from Mary, with more information to come.

Don't go away mad....just go away!

[gjhdiver 0]

This is very sad. I had the pleasure of meeting him and seeing him organize at the last Swedish Hercules Boogie. I think the best way to describe him was that he was a force of nature. He made a large boogie fun for the low timers that would otherwise been intimidating.

That was the first and last time I met him, but I can see even from that brief week, why he touched so many people.

Blue skies Hutch....

[BIGUN 1,402]

Max,

I'd be particulary interested in this one when you learn more:

Quote

The second will be at Sky Dive San Marcos, and it will include a missing man formation and full military honors.

Please keep us posted.

Bigun

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[maxmadmax 8]

Woof...Woof.....Woof......from Mary!

There will be 3 memorial services for Hutch. The first one will be hosted by his brothers the Tradesmen motorcycle club. It will be at Bryant’s Ice House in Katy, Tx on April 14th in the afternoon. The next one will be at Sky Dive San Marcos in San Marcos, Tx on April 28th late afternoon. This will include a missing man formation with scattering of his ashes and full military honors. The third service will celebrate his Buddist traditions and his life. It will be on April 29th at the VFW Hall/Museum in Katy, Tx at 2:00p.m.
Everyone is welcome to attend one or all of these celebrations.

If you wish to send flowers for the last service you can send them to 2826 East Elm Circle Katy, Tx 77493 shortly before the 29th, or you can make a donation to Houston Hospice in his honor.

Woof! Mary Wickizer Hutchinson

Don't go away mad....just go away!

[bunge 0]

my its been a long time since i've seen these,

blue one Hutch, you will be missed

Bunge

skydog 679

BUNGE

I don't hate them, I just like us better.

[ltdiver 3]

Thanks for posting those! After the skydog web site went down I tried to find my original copies. No joy. Happy to be laughing again...
ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[stevewis 0]

I never got to jump with Hutch, but I worked at the same company. We talked quite a bit about skydiving. He was a great guy, always had a way of putting a smile on your face no matter how bad your day was going.

woof

[maxmadmax 8]

Greetings to all Woofers reading this post!

Did a whois search on skydog.com & hell a record company has snagged it.

So I did the reasonable Skydog thing & snagged some others.

Here's the deal:

We now have an internet voice! And it's up to all of you to tell me which one to bring alive. I welcome any and all information regarding the history of the Skydogs, the assigned numbers and whatever...etc.

This is not an attempt to hijack any existing website or that type of BS. Just to put the message out. Not everyone can be on a team or make 500 jumps a year but everyone can contribute and enjoy the Skydog Mantra.

I know that Hutch is enjoying this shit....where ever he is!

So here are your choices. Send me an email with your choice. The voting is open until April 28th!

Here they are:

Skydog-Woof.com

SkydogSkydiving.com

SkydogHutch.com

Woof-Woof-Woof.com

Send me an email with you selection...blah blah blah.

Vote often and many times.
Woof Woof Woof
Is the beer light on?

Don't go away mad....just go away!

[turtlespeed 226]

Quote

Greetings to all Woofers reading this post!

Did a whois search on skydog.com & hell a record company has snagged it.

So I did the reasonable Skydog thing & snagged some others.

Here's the deal:

We now have an internet voice! And it's up to all of you to tell me which one to bring alive. I welcome any and all information regarding the history of the Skydogs, the assigned numbers and whatever...etc.

This is not an attempt to hijack any existing website or that type of BS. Just to put the message out. Not everyone can be on a team or make 500 jumps a year but everyone can contribute and enjoy the Skydog Mantra.

I know that Hutch is enjoying this shit....where ever he is!

So here are your choices. Send me an email with your choice. The voting is open until April 28th!

Here they are:

Skydog-Woof.com

SkydogSkydiving.com

SkydogHutch.com

Woof-Woof-Woof.com

Send me an email with you selection...blah blah blah.

Vote often and many times.
Woof Woof Woof
Is the beer light on?

Skydog-Woof.com

or Woof Woof Woof.com -

those are my votes.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[livendive 8]

What's wrong with www.skydog-skydiving.com? It's the old address and it apppear it's been reclaimed from the porn sites specifically for skydogs.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[maxmadmax 8]

Damn....could not find it.

I'll link the site to the big dog's site.

@ www.skydog-skydiving.com

The new site is really just a tribute to Hutch anyway.
Hutch stories, etc.

Don't go away mad....just go away!

[wmw999 2,529]

Today's Houston Chronicle had a nice article about him here. Just because newspaper links are ephemeral, here's the text. There's a good picture of him playing the banjo, with his dog next to him. In the newspaper (but not online), there's also one of a very young Hutch in fatigues.

Quote

When it came time to cremate Richard "Hutch" Hutchinson, it seemed appropriate to clothe his body in a sky-diving suit covered by a Buddhist prayer vest and robe and bearing the colors of his motorcycle club.

These symbols highlight aspects of the 63 years of Hutchinson's action-packed life but don't exhaust the range of his interests and experiences, said his wife, Mary Wickizer, a registered nurse at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital.

Hutchinson was adept on guitar, autoharp, harmonica, dulcimer, violin and, above all, banjo, his wife said. He was a pilot, scuba diver, horseman and a devotee of dogs, especially chow-chows.

Devout Buddhist
As a teenager, Hutchinson felt that the other kids in Sunday school were just parroting the prayers and rituals of the religion given to them by their parents, Wickizer said. He began devising a religion of his own, founded on peace and acceptance.

"Later in college, he ran into a book on Buddhism. He said the hair started standing up on his neck, because the ideas he had developed" closely paralleled Buddhist thinking, Wickizer said.

For the rest of his life, Hutchinson espoused Buddhist teachings.

"He was a big-hearted person who was full of life and energy, with an adventurous and inquiring mind. He always wanted to learn things and to teach things," his wife said.

The only child of a career Army officer, Hutchinson at an early age lived with his parents in Guatemala and Taiwan.

After graduating from high school in Illinois, Hutchinson attended Georgia Tech and UCLA. In 1964 during the Vietnam War, he enlisted in the Army and was soon tapped for Officers Candidate School. He arrived in Vietnam as a first lieutenant, his wife said.

Four months later, Hutchinson was in a cage, exposed to the elements in a Viet Cong prison camp.

Hutchinson didn't dwell on the episode with his family. But Larry Fojt, a close friend, said Hutchinson told him that his captors stripped him of clothing to discourage attempts to escape. After a few days, when his cage was damaged during a bombing raid, a naked Hutchinson fled into the jungle, where he encountered a U.S. Marine patrol.

He ultimately was reunited with his unit, Wickizer said. He later was awarded the Bronze Star.

A careful sky-diver

Discharged in 1967, Hutchinson returned to Georgia Tech, earning bachelor's and master's degrees in industrial management.

When he was 47, he began sky-diving. "He had some bad falls," his wife said.

His most serious injury was a compound leg fracture suffered because of a freak wind gust during a landing. Despite being ill with cancer, he was still jumping from planes in October, Wickizer said.

Fojt called Hutchinson "the most careful jumper I've ever seen."

"He constantly tried to learn and pass on his expertise to anyone who would accept it," Fojt said. "He had more integrity and honesty than any man I've ever met."

Longtime friend Tracy Dibble, whose father knew Hutchinson when she was a child, said Hutchinson encouraged her to stick to her ambition to become a writer.

"He was the first person to tell me that wanting to be a writer wasn't a stupid idea," said Dibble, who now earns a living as a technical writer in the pharmaceutical field. "He also taught me sky-diving."

Cancer battle

Hutchinson was married five times, the first when he was a teenager, Wickizer said. His first three marriages were brief. He married his fourth wife in 1977, and they divorced in 2006.

He and Wickizer were married in 2006 even though Hutchinson had been diagnosed with renal cell cancer the year before.

"It was very sad, but we had been in a serious relationship and were old friends. I wouldn't have changed a thing," Wickizer said.

Hutchinson, who died in a Houston hospice on Feb. 20, worked as a product manager for BMC Software and with AT&T.

Besides his wife, a resident of Katy, Hutchinson leaves a stepson, Army Cpl. Christopher Bradley Plummer, of Fort Hood; a stepdaughter, Erica Nicole Plummer, of College Station; a family friend, Tracy Dibble, of Orlando, Fla.; and a stepsister, Mary Mahoney, of Redondo Beach, Calif.

Arrangements
A memorial service is planned for the late afternoon of April 14 at Bryant's Ice House in Katy. A sky-diving service is scheduled for the late afternoon of April 28 at Sky Dive San Marcos in San Marcos. Fojt said he plans to release Hutchinson's ashes at an altitude of 8,000 feet.

A service to celebrate Hutchinson's life is scheduled for 2 p.m. April 29 at the VFW Hall and Museum in Katy.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[skyravn67 0]

The true measure of a great man is that when he leaves this world it is a now a better place because he was here.

Woof.

[Sutton 0]

Thats terrible.

Rest In Peace

-Sutton

[brits17 0]

Woof.
Always a great spirit and friend.

_______________________
aerialkinetics.com

[JohnRich 4]

Here is another news story about Hutch:

Richard Churchill "Hutch" Hutchinson II

Richard Churchill "Hutch" Hutchinson February 2, 1944 to February 20, 2007 Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Richard Churchill "Hutch" Hutchinson II spent his childhood traveling extensively as his father, a West Point graduate and World War II veteran, was stationed throughout the United States and the world . He attended military school in San Antonio, Texas, at the age of eight when civil unrest broke out in Guatemala where his father was stationed. He spent most of his high school years at the Taipei American School in Taiwan, with his senior year spent at Rantoul High School near the Chanute Air Base. Hutch attended Georgia Tech and UCLA.

He enlisted in the Army, attended M.P School at Fort Gordon, GA and OCS at Ft Sill, OK. Four months later he was assigned to a heavy artillery battalion activated for Vietnam service. He became a forward observer and was placed with the Americal Division, working closely with the Australian troops. Hutch was also a POW in Vietnam; he escaped naked into the jungle and was found several days later by a Marine LRRP patrol. As a result of his experiences and outstanding performance, he received the Air Medal and the Bronze Star.

After serving his tours Hutch went back to college at Georgia Tech and was a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma fraternity. He graduated Cum Laude (10th of 449) with a Masters in Industrial Management.

During his teenage years Hutch developed his own spirituality and followed a Buddhist path. He lived his life based on the beliefs of peace and acceptance.

"Bubba Hutch", or "Deacon", was an accomplished musician who played the guitar, harmonica, autoharp, dulcimer and fiddle. His favorite instrument was the claw-hammer banjo. He played with several famous artists early in their careers in the Atlanta Underground including Bob Dillon, Jimmy Buffet and Joni Mitchell. He also traveled across the U.S. in his VW bug playing coffee shops and street corners. More recently, he was a fixture at several folk music festivals and camps, and was a participating author for the Banjo Newsletter.

Hutch enjoyed horseback riding, particularly riding bareback when he was living in Saudi Arabia. More recently he rode with his former wife, Cotton Hutchinson.

Hutch loved to SCUBA dive and was a licensed instructor, cave diver and rescue diver. Hutch did his first tandem skydive at age 47 and was hooked. He became a rigger, instructor, coach and load organizer. He loved attending local and international boogies, particularly the World Free Fall Convention. He jumped from jets, hot air balloons and biplanes, and made a HALO (high altitude low opening) jump. He was just shy of 1,500 jumps and logged over 27 hours of free fall time.

Hutch was also a motorcycle enthusiast. He belongs to the Tradesmen Motorcycle Club and enjoyed many hours with his brothers. He rode cross country and internationally, and recently enjoyed his purple Harley with silver flames.

His biggest passion was Chow Chows. He had several Chows over the last 40 years, and was active with Chow Rescue and CAPS. Every year on Father's Day he donated to CAPS and sent a dozen roses to "Doc Sally" as this is where he adopted his last and favorite canine child, Princess Wen Chang.

Hutch worked for BMC software for many years and was recently honored by having the Mainview for WebSphere product renamed after him. He also had previously worked for ATT.

Hutch leaves many friends and loved ones. He was married five times, lastly to a long time friend, companion and love of his life Mary Wickizer, of Katy, Texas. He is also survived by his step-son Christopher Bradley Plummer of Ft. Hood, Texas; step-daughter Erica Nicole Plummer of College Station, Texas; "adopted" daughter Tracy Wentworth Dibble of Orlando, Florida; his step-sister Mary Mahoney of Redondo Beach, California; and his two canine children Princess Wen Chang and Jethro the Dawg.

Hutch always said, "If you're not living on the edge, you're just taking up space."

Memorial services will be held April 14th at Bryant's Ice house in Katy, Texas; a skydiving service with full military honors will be held April 28th at Sky Dive San Marcos in San Marcos, Texas; and the third service will be held on April 29th at 2:00 p.m. to celebrate his Buddhist heritage and life at the VFW Hall and Museum in Katy, Texas. Flowers may be sent for the last service to 2826 East Elm Circle Katy, Texas 77493. You may also make donations in Hutch's memory to Houston Hospice at www.houstonhospice.org

Source: Houston Chronicle

[askir 0]

Wow...what a beautiful send off it was, John it was great seing you again and Hutch's friends, I think Tuna should post the picture of his last dive here.

LIFE IS LIKE A CIGARETTE, YOU CAN SIT THERE AND WATCH IT BURN AWAY OR YOU CAN SMOKE THAT BITCH TO THE FILTER

[askir 0]

Sorry John I meant to say "Seeing you again in company of many other of Hutch's friends" I know you were a good friend to Hutch as well as a good friend to our family.

LIFE IS LIKE A CIGARETTE, YOU CAN SIT THERE AND WATCH IT BURN AWAY OR YOU CAN SMOKE THAT BITCH TO THE FILTER

[JohnRich 4]

This is my thumbnail story of the memorial service:

I drove from Houston to Skydive San Marcos, Texas, Saturday morning, to attend Hutch's memorial services.

Hutch had requested in his final wishes that I be on his memorial skydive, along with several other people, to release his cremated ashes in freefall. The total size of the dive was a 10-way. Many more wished to be on the dive than could be accomodated, and the size had to be limited to keep it simple and increase the probability of success. Others on the dive included Larry Foyt, Big Don, Dan Potts, Eric Butz, Theresa Davignon, R.D., Paul Illingworth and Marcello Garcia. Video men were Tuna and Dave. Who did I forget?

Marcello made a beautiful ash deployment bag, arm-mounted, and it was embroidered with a Skydog patch and "Hutch".

The U.S. flag to be used for the dive had been flown over the Capital building in Washington, D.C., and was a heavy cotton one. I did some impromptu rigging to get it set up for jumping, and then made a practice jump with it to make sure that it would display properly with the amount of weight I attached and the heavy fabric. It was good to go.

We did several practice dives with the memorial jumpers and the ash release bag, to get the exit and dive plan and procedures straight.

As sunset approached, everyone gathered around the pea pit, with Hutch's ashes in the release bag in the middle. Jenn, in her beautiful Scottish accent, stepped forward and read the poem "High Flight", which was also a last request by Hutch. An opportunity was given for people to step forward and say something about Hutch. Several did. I get too choked-up at times like this to speak in front of a crowd.

Then came the actual memorial dive at sunset. Exit from the Otter was from 14,500 feet. Eric released the ashes at 7,000 feet. The flag jumper opened at 5,000' to create a "missing man" formation effect. The other formation jumpers broke off at 4,000 feet, tracked and deployed.

I had the honor of jumping the U.S. flag, and had it stuffed down into a borrowed over-sized jumpsuit. I had an amazing view from my high opening perch, it is the kind of memory that will stay with me forever: The sun was setting orange behind a cloud on the western horizon, a full moon was in the blue sky to the east, the Otter was spiraling down to the ground to the south, my fellow jumpers were buzzing around under canopy down below, and a throng of spectators on the ground were all looking up. Wow. "You better not screw-up this landing", I thought to myself.

I landed last, with the flag, smack dab in front of a USAF military
Honor guard, standing at attention, and the throng of spectators. The Honor guard caught the flag as I landed, and I quickly disconnected it from my harness. The Honor guard carefully folded the flag triangular-style, and gave it to Hutch's wife, Mary, in a very beautiful and well-choreographed military presentation, ending with a slow-motion salute to the widow.

Present were skydivers, family and some of Hutch's motorcycle club friends - a whole lot of them with wet eyes, including mine. It struck me as an odd collection of people to all be crying together: whuffos, skydivers, and motorcyclists.

Afterwards, there was a huge bonfire, two beer kegs, a spaghetti dinner, and an SCR ceremony by Larry, for Angelina. Life goes on.

Hutch was sent-off with style, as he wanted it.

Mary has a son serving in the Army in Iraq, and Mary says that she will give Hutch's Harley motorcycle to him when he returns home from overseas. Hutch would like that.

Thanks to Paul and Jenn, DZO's of Skydive San Marcos, and all the other many people that played a role in honoring Hutch's last requests and making this event happen.

Hopefully we'll have some photos soon, from the freefall video men; Tuna and Dave, and others on the ground.

Attached: Mary being presented with the flag.

[wmw999 2,529]

Awesome. That was beautifully written, and beautifully done.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[ladyhawke 0]

The entire ceremony gave me goose bumps! I've never ever seen anything like that before. Hutch sure has lots of friends who love him.

"It is our choices that show what we truly are far more than our abilities." - A. Dumbledore

[JohnRich 4]

Photo attached: Hutch makes his final skydive.
(Photo by "Tuna")

More photos at http://www.skydivingtuna.com/