Death of James J. Hutchinson

James Jay Hutchinson of St. Joseph went home to be with his Lord on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. He was 73 when he passed away unexpectedly in Grand Rapids, Mich., from complications of a heart condition.

 

He was born in Bowling Green, Ohio, on April, 7 1950, to Carlton and Grace (Detweiler) Hutchinson. His formative years were spent in Ohio. He later moved to Michigan, where he graduated from Dexter High School in 1968.

 

He married Marla Jean Field on Aug. 21, 1971; they were loving companions for 52 years.

 

In 1972, he graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a major in psychology and a minor in music. Jay later went on to study at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Ill. He pursued his interest in Jewish studies and the intertestamental period at Andrews University. His highest degree was a master's in educational leadership from Western Michigan. He taught special education in Benton Harbor Area Schools for 24 years. Prior to teaching, he founded a preschool, Kiddie Kollege, in Ann Arbor.

 

Read Hutchinson’s full obituary here.