Dr. Earl C. Hutchins, MD FAAN, age 89 of Colorado Springs, CO.
Earl is the father of Kim Hutchins of Colorado Springs, Brian Hutchins of San Diego, California, Todd Hutchins (Marissa) of Eaton Colorado, and Matt Hutchins (Maruta Skujina) of Seattle Washington, and grandfather to Jack, Sam, Max, and Ivy. He is survived by brother Richard. He is preceded in death by loving wife Jane, two infant sons Gregory and Bradley, parents Charles and Elizabeth, and brothers Charles and Eugene.
Earl was born in Crookston, Minnesota, graduating as Valedictorian of his Cathedral High School class. He went to Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, spent a year abroad in Vienna on a scholarship, then graduated with a degree in Chemistry. He added a Masters of Science from North Dakota State University and began his first career as a chemist. He was drafted into the Navy in 1956 and served as a hospital corpsman in San Diego, inspiring his interest in medicine. After the Navy, he worked on diverse projects for Norco, Redstone, and Shell, with stops in Illinois, Alabama, Texas, and New Jersey. He met the love of his life, Jane and they married on December 30th, 1958, beginning a 54-year long adventure together.
At 29, he enrolled at Tulane University and graduated from the School of Medicine in 1963, with the vital support of Jane’s work as an executive secretary. In 1970, after residencies in Internal Medicine and Neurology, he started a successful private practice at a time when there were few neurologists in the state. He was affiliated with several Front Range hospitals, helping patients from Cheyenne to Denver, Sterling to Loveland.
Beyond practice, he was very active in his profession, leading the Colorado Society of Clinical Neurologists and serving in the American Academy of Neurology. He had a special interest in stroke prevention and treatment, first founding the Rocky Mountain Stroke Prevention Center, then raising awareness with the National Stroke Association as a Board Member starting in 1985 and as President from 1987 to 1989. He was a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. He taught at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center for 15 years, and at the University of North Carolina for another 6 years. In 1989, they moved to North Carolina and Earl acted as Chief of Rehabilitation Medicine at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and retired in 1995.
He was active in the Greeley Rotary Club, Toastmasters, the Boy Scouts of America, and as a prison chaplain for El Paso County and the Canon City prison for 13 years. During the Vietnam War, he volunteered as a doctor providing healthcare to Vietnamese civilians caught in the conflict. After retiring, he was able to spend more time traveling and painting. Jane and Earl traveled the world, visited all seven continents, and enjoyed many cruises. They collected art and mementos that their children will cherish. After a lifetime of admiring art, Earl picked up painting. With the help of many mentors and a community of fellow artists, he cultivated a love of realism, landscape, portraiture, and southwest art, inspired by imagery from his travels and religion.
His devotion to family and to God were constants that guided him throughout his life.
In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to the American Stroke Association or the Alzheimer’s Association.
The graveside service for Crookston native Dr. Earl Hutchins has been rescheduled for Monday, November 22, 2021, at 11:30 a.m. in the Calvary Cemetery, Crookston, with Deacon Dennis Bivens, officiating.
Online registry and messages may be made at www.stenshoelhouske.com
