Obituary: Robert Franklin Hutchinson

Editors note: this is the son who grew up in our house
Name: Mr. Robert F. Hutchinson
Age:
92 Married
City of Residence: 219 East Ulen Drive, Lebanon, Indiana
Date of Death: Tuesday, January 4, 2005, at 7:10 a.m.
Place of Death: at his home in Lebanon, Indiana
Cause of Death:
Natural Causes

A native and life-long resident, Mr. Hutchinson was born on June 15, 1912 the son of the late and former Boone Circuit Court Judge Frank E. Hutchinson and Jennie C. (Pugh) Hutchinson.

Mr. Hutchinson graduated Lebanon High School, 1930. He attended Purdue University, 1934-1937, and graduated from Ohio State University in 1940 with a degree in Architectural Engineering. He served in the U. S. Army during World War II.

He was married to Eleanor R. (Miller) Hutchinson in Anderson, Indiana on January 31, 1953. Mrs. Hutchinson survives.

Mr. Hutchinson’s Professional background:
Draftsman for Walter Scholer, Architect, Lafayette, Indiana, 1937-1938 and 1946-1948 (made architectural drawings for Purdue’s Elliott Music Hall)

Licensed architect, engineer, land surveyor, and real estate broker until his death

Boone County Surveyor, May 1948-December 1960, overseeing repair of public ditches, tile drains, and bridges (in 1951 prepared a storm water and septic system drainage plan for the town of Advance, Indiana, still in use today)

Engineer for Indiana State Highway Commission, 1962-1967, assisting with land acquisition for much of the state’s Interstate Highway system

Engineer for Indiana Department of Natural Resources, 1967-1971, assisting with restoration of many state park lodges, covered bridges, and other structures

Boone County Highway Engineer, January 1971-June 1977, overseeing bridge and roadway repair throughout the County (prepared architectural building plans for the County’s current Highway Garage)

Honors/Items of Note: For work in making records of and preserving roughly 170 covered bridges throughout Indiana, named a Sagamore of the Wabash by Gov. Robert Orr, June 1986

Recognized for 57 years of service to the Lebanon Rotary Club, December, 2004

As a member of the Boy Scouts of America, attained Eagle Scout rank (first person in Lebanon to do so), September 1927

Being one of the first people locally to be certified in life-saving techniques by the American Red Cross, served in 1938 as the first life-guard at Lebanon’s Seashore Pool and took many historical photographs of the pool and its patrons which he loaned to the committee in charge of preparing the 2004 local Christmas Ornament

Joined Ambassadair Travel Club, Indianapolis, as one of its charter Life Members, enjoying travel all over the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe and Egypt

As local chapter commander of American Legion, applied WWII explosives and munitions training to stage Lebanon’s Fourth of July Fireworks display in the early 1950’s

For donating more than 100 rare books and 1000 historical magazines on engineering and architecture, named Honorary Member of Alexander M. Bracken Library, Ball State University

Memberships: Indiana Historical Society
Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana
Indianapolis Museum of Art
Art Institute of Chicago
Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago
Oriental Institute of Middle-East Studies, University of Chicago
Lebanon Rotary Club
Ulen Country Club
Lebanon Elks Club
Lebanon Chapter of the American Legion
First Presbyterian Church of Lebanon
Indiana Covered Bridge Society
American Institute of Architects
Delta Tau Delta Fraternity
Do Nothing Club

Officiating: Rev. Thomas P. O’Brien and Rev. Robert Stewart
Funeral Services
will be held on Saturday, January 8, 2005 at 11:00 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 128 East Main Street, Lebanon, Indiana.
Visitation is planned for Saturday, January 8, 2005, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the church.
Entombment will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery in Lebanon, Indiana.

Survivors:
Wife: Mrs. Eleanor R. Hutchinson – Lebanon, Indiana
One Daughter:
Mrs. Anne Elizabeth
Moore and husband, Larry - Columbus, Indiana
One Son: Mr. Alan D. Hutchinson – Chicago, Illinois
One Grandson:

Michael A. Moore – student at Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota

Deceased is a sister, Florence H. Lonsford.

Memorials: Charity of the Donor’s Choice

Comments

  1. Did he just die or did he die in 2005? The article says 2005 but you make it sound like it was just recent.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hello - this is my grandfather. I'm curious to know how you knew him - I'm doing some genealogy research. Please get in touch with me - genealogy@imichael.org. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete

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