Richard “Leroy” went to be with his Savior and God, received into Heaven’s gate and surrounded by his family.

Leroy was born on October 16, 1938, to Harrison and Marie Hutchinson of Springfield, Mo. He was the 1^st son of 5 siblings, Louise, Peggy, Wanda, and Melvin. He was greatly loved by his sisters and as they say, “spoiled rotten”.

He answered the call to serve and enlisted in the U.S. Navy, aboard the U.S. Jonas Ingram, and was affectionately called “Hutch”. As a pollywog, he saw Italy, Greece and Spain, and crossed the line (Equator) with King Neptune, during his Navy tour.

In 1961, Leroy married Bonnie Brashears in July of that year. He became an instant dad to 2 little girls. He was a wonderful provider and Christian, who took his family to church at Eastside Assemblies of God in Springfield, MO.

Leroy was employed by Springday /Dayco for 20+ years and then became a Right of Way Agent for Greene County Road and Bridge where he retired in March of 1999.

His love for whittling on the front porch became a lifelong passion for the craft of woodcarving. He discovered that stories don’t just live on paper and speech, but sleep inside the grain of native woods, bass, walnuts and pine. He carved eagles, birds, deer and racoons.

Like life lessons learned, he saw a difference between cutting with the grain or against the grain.

Leroy and Bonnie were married 56 years, and she preceded him in death in April of 2017 as well as brother James Melvin and his sister Peggy Illeen.

He is survived by his daughters, Glenda Palmer, her husband John of CedarCreek, MO, Bonnie Adams, her husband Mike of Willard. Ricky McCoy and his wife Patrice of St. Louis, MO and a host of grandchildren, great grandchildren and the best neighbors and friends in the world.

“Go rest high on God’s mountain, Son your work on Earth is done, go to Heaven a shoutin’ love for the Father and his Son”