Robert Thomas Hutcheson

Robert Thomas Hutcheson, age 84, of Bel Air, MD, passed away on February 1, 2014. Born in Cumberland, MD, he was the son of the late Archibald McFarland Hutcheson and Margaret Bowie Hutcheson. Tom was a graduate of Allegany High School in Cumberland, as well as, the University of Maryland where he received his B.A. and M.Ed. He earned additional graduate school credits at Ohio State and West Virginia Universities. He taught for five and a half years in his native Allegany County at Beall High School and was a Frostburg College professor for eight years before coming to Harford County to teach English for a year. He then served for 25 years as an instructional supervisor and after his retirement, was inducted into the Harford County Educator Hall of Fame. He is credited with helping to form the foundation of the modern HCPS English/language arts program. Retired Harford County Public Social Studies Supervisor, Paul Tracy, said "He was a gentle leader with vast intelligence, common sense, fairness, people skills and integrity who provided innovative leadership to the study of language arts over many years in Harford County".

Mr. Hutcheson met his wife, Ruth, while they were both students at the University of Maryland and, after their marriage in 1955, lived in Frostburg for eleven years before moving to Bel Air. He enjoyed frequent visits back to Allegany County. He loved to read and had researched and written his own family history book. A member of Bel Air United Methodist Church since 1966, he sang in the choir and served as chairperson of the Worship Committee for 22 years. He was also a member of the Bel Air Lions Club. One of his greatest joys was that all the members of his family received great pleasure from reading and hoped that gift would be passed on to future generations.

Mr. Hutcheson is survived by his wife of 58 years, Ruth Elizabeth (Jacobs) Hutcheson; daughter, Ann L. Freiman and husband, Michael, of Rockville; sons, Robert T. Hutcheson Jr. and wife, Deborah, of Clifton, VA and Douglas M. Hutcheson and wife Stephanie, of Bel Air; sister, Marjorie A. Traband of Bel Air; and eight grandchildren, Matthew, Amy, Steven, Alex, Megan, Adam, Zachary and Natalie.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Bel Air Lions Club, Bel Air Lions Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 167, Bel Air, MD or Post-Polio Health International, 4207 Lindell Blvd., #110, Saint Louis, MO 63108-2930.