David William Hutchings, Sr., 86 of Hudson, NH entered the presence of our Lord on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, after fighting a battle with pulmonary disease at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center, Nashua. He was born February 13, 1926, in Newark, NJ, the youngest child of Joseph Lyall and Ruth Corkill Hutchings, and was predeceased by his sister, Florence Hutchings Watson of Ft. Meyers, Florida, and his brother, Joseph Lyall Hutchings, Jr. of Granby, Connecticut. He attended public schools in Nutley and Montclair, NJ. David joined the 3rd Marine division during his senior year of high school, training at radio school and serving in the Pacific and in China at the close of WW II. He returned to attend forestry school in Montana, which prepared him to serve as a National Park Ranger for 25 summers at Yellowstone, the Smokies, and Acadia National Park and The Edison Historic Site, much to the delight of his family. Hiking and mountain climbing was undertaken frequently, even when he was deeply involved in books. He attended Biblical Seminary and graduated from Columbia University and New York University, with an emphasis in American history.
He married Esther Lauer on September 8, 1953 at the chapel in Yellowstone Park, and they had two daughters, Barbara Lynn currently of Scranton, PA and Katherine Anne Porter of Randolph, VT, and a son, David William (Bill) Hutchings, Jr. of Windham, NH. Their grandchildren are Emily Katherine, Madeline Christie, David Joseph and Andrew (Drew) John Hutchings and Samuel Tucker Riley. Bill’s wife, Michele (Mike), is a special daughter and Daniel Riley, Tucker’s father, often takes him mountain climbing.
David taught history at Wasatch Academy, a Presbyterian Missions School in Mt. Pleasant, Utah, and Clifford Scott HS in East Orange, NJ. He was invited to write a book and in 1974 Edison at Work was published. The family was active at Grace Presbyterian Church in Montclair, NJ and David became an elder, as well as singing in the choir, and with the John Hallet Chorale. When he retired from teaching for 30 years he joined the Rutgers University research team working on the Thomas Edison Papers Project for 10 years. Then he and his wife moved to Gorham, Maine with 1½ acres of quiet among lovely neighbors. David continued researching, volunteering for 12 years at the Oscher Map Library of the University of Maine, as well as helping at the Root Cellar, an inner city ministry in Portland, and being active at the South Gorham Baptist Church, and enjoying the activity at 470 railroad club. Finally the property became more difficult to manage and he agreed with his son that he should move near his family in Windham, New Hampshire. In July 2010 they moved to Highland Woods, Hudson, NH, where he further developed his interest in trains and in rare railroad schedules on lines that interested him. They joined the Windham Presbyterian Church where Bill’s family is active, and he joined the choir, where Mike sings and Christie is pianist much to his delight. His “swan song” was singing with the choir the day before his doctor sent him by ambulance to the hospital. We trust he enjoys a heavenly choir.
The family will have visiting hours and at Windham Presbyterian Church, 1 Church Rd., Windham, NH 03087 Friday, November 9, from 7 to 9 pm, and a Memorial Service Saturday, November 10th at 11 am, followed by a buffet lunch. Interment will be in the Memorial Garden at Grace Presbyterian Church, Montclair, NJ at a date to be determined. Memorial contributions may be made to World Vision, PO Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063; Sourcecode: 105429654, or sent to World Vision c/o Windham Presbyterian Church.