William R. Hutchison, 92

William R. Hutchison, 92, died peacefully at home in Kalispell on Oct. 18, 2010, surrounded by his family He was born April 6, 1918, in Chester, and was raised in Chester. He graduated from Chester High School one month after turning 17, and from Northern Montana College-Havre with a degree in education, in 1940. He married Betty Lorraine Kezar on Aug. 28, 1940, in Havre. The couple recently celebrated their 70th anniversary. Hutch worked as a school teacher for grades kindergarten through eighth at McDermott School, a one-room schoolhouse in the Sweet Grass Hills. He was a motor parts salesman in Shelby and Cut Bank from 1941 to 1968, and then a purchasing agent for Motor Parts Warehouse in Havre from 1968 until his retirement in 1984, when they moved to Bigfork. Hutch was blessed with a beautiful tenor voice, and an amazing knowledge of everything music. He loved performing and sang in several musicals through NMC. He wrote musical arrangements, and even over 60 of his own songs. He started keeping written records of the songs on the Hit Parade from 1935 through the early 60s, and songs from every hit Broadway and movie musical. He also kept records of every major league baseball and most NBA and NFL players stats, from the 1930s through the present. He called himself a Figures Filbert. He also invented his own baseball game. Hutch enjoyed bowling, loved golf, loved camping in Glacier National Park and loved his cats. He was exceptional in spelling, vocabulary and math; and he had a wonderful sense of humor. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Irvin Hutchison; and a granddaughter, Patti Lynn Silva Cleveland. Hutch is survived by his wife of 70 years, Betty Hutchison, of Kalispell; son, William Hutchison, of Creston; and daughters, Penny Benbrooks, and Nancy and Rian Britt of Kalispell, Judy and Phil Ford of Bigfork, and Betty and Larry Salois of Cut Bank; a sister, Ethel Toots Norman of Seattle; 13 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren. A family memorial will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 27, at Glacier National Park. Family and friends will gather at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 28, at their home in Bigfork. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the American Cancer Society or the Northwest Montana Humane Society. Condolences may be sent to the family in care of Buffalo Hill Funeral Home in Kalispell.