Jerry Boyce Hutchinson, 79, died Sunday, October 2, 2022, at his home in Springfield, Missouri, after a grueling five-year battle with cancer and its complications.

He conquered stage IV non-Hodgkins lymphoma, several bouts of pneumonia, CMV retinitis, which greatly diminished his sight, and COVID. In June 2022 he faced a new foe, acute myeloid leukemia, that with his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease proved more than his body could defeat. He left the hospital after more than a month on hospice to spend his last days at home with family.

Jerry was born September 22, 1943, to Boyce Edwin and Mildred Oexmann Hutchinson in Vincennes, Indiana.

The new family went home to the big white house next door to his grandfather Oexmann’s watermelon farm, but they did not settle down in Indiana.

Jerry’s paternal grandfather and great-grandfather ran a gas station across the Wabash River in the small town of Sumner, Illinois. Boyce went to work in Sumner, eventually taking over the business. During Jerry’s elementary school years, the family lived in the three rooms at the back of the Texaco station, sharing the bathroom with the customers. By Jerry’s junior high days, the family had moved to a new spacious home just down the street from the Texaco.

When Jerry turned seven years old, his only sibling, Gary, was born. In Jerry’s final months of illness, Gary called daily to check on Jerry’s wellbeing.

Small-town life allowed for the development of lifelong friends and the enjoyment of simple pleasures such as cruising the countryside listening to Elvis and rock ‘roll on the radio. It also helped develop one of Jerry’s passions—auto racing. On weekends the Hutchinson family could be found at the races.

Cars and racing became an obsession. The Sumner High School yearbook noted pursuits such as basketball, dancing or flirting for its freshmen students. Jerry’s was listed as well-known for “model cars.”

When Jerry secured his heart’s desire—a driver’s license—he practiced his best racing form by speeding around the lake at Red Hills State Park. One night his Mario Andretti moves faltered. He rolled the car down the embankment, landing it on its top. When Jerry asked his dad how he would get around now, Boyce replied: “You have a ‘darn’ bicycle, don’t you?” Truth be told, Boyce used a slightly stronger word than “darn.” A few years later, however, Jerry graduated from that bicycle to racing stock cars and dragsters.

At Sumner High School Jerry played center on the school’s basketball team and was the Class of 1961 Salutatorian.

He attended the University of Missouri at Rolla, graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1965. He excelled academically, being elected to Pi Tau Sigma, the National Honorary Mechanical Engineering Fraternity. He served an internship at Ford Motor Company, Detroit, Michigan. He also ran track, specializing in the high hurdles.

He went on to work in engineering jobs in the motor, oil and aerospace industries.

While at the university, Jerry met Kitty Louise Davenport. They married June 25, 1965, in Waynesville, Missouri. They had two daughters, Amy Louise and Heather Lynn. They divorced on November 15, 1971.

While living in Robinson, Illinois, Jerry met missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jerry’s faith in Jesus Christ and commitment to the Gospel was reaffirmed. He was baptized as a member on May 4, 1968. He remained a dedicated member for the rest of his life, serving in various church organizations and as a ward and church service missionary. His faith in the Savior never wavered.

After his divorce Jerry worked in Newport Beach, Calif., Kansas City, Missouri and Denver, Colorado, and then he moved to Salt Lake City, Utah in February 1980.

That month he met Angelyn Jennie Nelson at church. She was attracted to his quiet, kind manner and sense of humor. Jerry loved jokes, puns, wordplay, and funny stories. Even when he received the terrible diagnosis this year that he had acute myeloid leukemia, he quipped, “Well, at least my leukemia is a cute one.”

Jerry and Angelyn married on June 19, 1981, in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They had two daughters, Stephanie Michelle and Elizabeth Ann. Jerry and Angie spent 35 years in Salt Lake City and Layton, Utah, before moving to Springfield in 2017.

Family was the focus of Jerry’s life. He always supported his daughters in their activities, attending school events, Stephanie’s musical concerts and Liz’s volleyball activities. When they were discouraged, he was their best cheerleader. He encouraged their academic excellence. He also ensured that they knew of the purpose of life and had a love for the Savior.

When grandchildren arrived, he delighted in their antics and accomplishments, loving each one tremendously. Sundays and days inbetween they could expect a phone call from or a visit with Grandpa.

Although married to a journalist, Jerry always supported Angie without complaint in her endeavors despite her long, crazy, stressful work hours. As Angie’s friend and colleague wrote this week, “l loved Jerry and his calm, laid-back ways. You needed someone like that to keep things in perspective in this business.”

When Angie was caring for her aging parents, there were no objections from Jerry about his missed dinners and the long absences. When his mother-in-law moved in with Jerry and Angie during her last four years, he helped with her care, fulfilling her often demanding requests.

Jerry’s family is grateful for his presence in their lives and the unconditional love he gave to each one. At this tender time, they are grieving his loss but are assured that they will be together again in the eternities. ‘They are relieved that his suffering is over.

Jerry was preceded in death by his parents.

His surviving family includes:

Wife: Angelyn, Springfield; daughters Elizabeth (Casey) Talbot, Fair Grove, Missouri; and Stephanie (Mark) Deppe, Springfield; and brother: Gary Hutchinson, Sumner, Illinois.

Grandchildren: Porter, Mia, Zoe, Sage, Naomi, and Carmen Talbot; Colton and Alaina Deppe.

Also: daughters, Heather Clemons, Denver, Colorado; Amy (Cameron) Newell, Baker, Oregon.

Grandchildren: Meghan Morris, Nick (Hallie) Morris, Michael (Alexis) Morris, Joshua Morris; Liberty (Justin) Broughton, Justus Newell.

Great grandchildren: Aidan, Kaladin, Evan, Raelynn, August, Phillip, Alice and Peter.

The family wants to thank Dr. Mohan Tummala, Stephanie Liedl, Jayme and Mercy Hospital’s O’Reilly Cancer Center; Dr. Alastair Haddow; the nurses and nursing aides at Mercy Hospital’s 7A oncology ward, and Mercy’s other physicians and health care workers for their professionalism, expertise and compassion over the past five years. In Jerry’s memory the family suggests blood donations be made to Mercy Hospital Springfield Blood Services or your local blood bank.

Funeral services will be Friday, October 7, at 10 a.m. (CDT) at the Greenlawn Funeral Home, 3506 N. National Avenue, Springfield, Missouri 65803. A viewing will be Thursday, October 6, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. The funeral will be livestreamed.