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Sunday
In Memoriam Roland
T. ("Tom") Hutchins
While we often didn't get along well in later years, Dad gave my brothers and me the best childhood a kid could ever want. He took us fishing at various San Diego piers and lakes. Every summer we went camping -- from Cuyamaca to Bishop. He taught us how to swim -- even letting us climb onto his back when we got tired of paddling along in the surf. He would sing to us and tell us scary stories. When we were little, he couldn't bear to spank us -- leaving that task to Mom instead. I never, ever once saw my father drunk -- his only vice a heavy smoking habit. Dad always reminded us how grateful he was to have three children who never gave him a moment's worry. Dad had some interesting idiosyncrasies. A life-long liberal Democrat, he never failed to miss a single (cough...sputter...cough) Rush Limbaugh show. No doubt Dad had some fun "heckling" the vile Pigboy and his legion of Ditto-Monkeys. In fact, if one hoped for a peaceful evening with Dad, one would've had to avoid all mention of anything political. Among Dad's hobbies was his devotion to Sweetwater Union High School's football team, the Red Devils. (Dad graduated from SUHI in 1943.) He attended every game for decades -- even meticulously documenting scores in a notebook throughout the years. He was nominated once for the title of "Mr. Sweetwater" -- but some other National City scion won instead. However, that disappointment did nothing to quell Dad's love for Sweetwater and its football team. Sadly, bedridden the last year of his life, Dad was unable to attend any more football games. Yet, he still managed to keep track of the team's progress. Dad's ashes live in a nice overlook just beneath Stonewall Peak in Cuyamaca State Park. A breathtakingly beautiful view of trees and blue sky. It's what Dad wanted. I'm sure that above us that day, Dad's soul smiled down on us and said, "Thanks, kids. You did okay." You're welcome, Dad. Peace.
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On
Friday, May 18, my father, Roland Thomas ("Tom")
Hutchins passed away after a long battle with terminal
lung cancer, emphysema and congestive heart failure. He was seventy-six.
He died at home, mercifully after slipping painlessly into a coma. Besides
myself, Dad is survived by sons Thomas E. Hutchins and 
