William Henry Hutchison

William Henry Hutchison

{span}William Henry Hutchison, III, passed away at his home in Palmer, AK on February 13, 2021. He was surrounded by loved ones. He was preceded in death by his mother, Florence Jane Hutchison; father, Carl Kenneth Hutchison, and brother, Carl Kenneth Hutchison, Jr. He is survived by his sister, Sara Jane Jackson, ex-wife, Christina Hutchison; his children, Tammy Jean Hemingway, William Henry Hutchison, IV, and Hilary Jane Hutchison; grandchildren, Brianne Cummings and Taylor Harris and great grandchildren Kaylee, Cole and Eli Cummings. He is also survived by two nieces and a nephew; Teresa Marie Hutchison, Carl Kenneth Hutchison, III, and Erin Kate McCune. He was lovingly cared for in his final days by his grand-niece, Sandra Wilson and her husband, Mark Wilson, along with Erin McCune and other family members.{/span}

{span}William (Bill) was born September 11, 1943 in Denver Colo. and raised in Ft. Collins, Colo. As a child he worked in the family drug store and spent his free time reading and riding his horse, Buttons. He won many blue ribbons in competitive horse shows. He joined the air force at age 17 and honorably served four years, including a tour in Japan.{/span}

{span}When he returned from the service, he worked for a while in the sporting goods department of the Caribou Ward’s store and then landed a job traveling Southeast AK as a Field Engineer for Burrough’s Corporation. There he met his lifelong friend, Marv Greene, a competitor, traveling the same territory for IBM. Together they reorganized and rebuilt the membership of the Ketchikan gun club. Bill was an avid gun enthusiast and collector.{/span}

{span}After several years with Burrough’s, Bill left to establish his own business, The Hutchison Company, doing contractual programming and selling Cromenco Computers. In 1990, he began contracting as a program analyst for Martin Marietta Company. This eventually became a full-time job until his retirement in 2010.{/span}

{span}Bill wrote the first computer program to track the annual Iditarod Race Competition. He enjoyed playing poker and chess and won several trophies at Anchorage Fur Rondy Chess competitions.{/span}

{span}Bill was a staunch conservative who always said he wanted it noted in his obituary that while he was serving in the Air Force, he had been dubbed “Honorary Georgia Boy”.{/span}

{span}Bill will be missed by many.{/span}