James Thomas "Jimmy" Hutchison

James Thomas “Jimmy” Hutchison, 74, died on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, surrounded by his beloved family.

Born on July 8, 1950, Jimmy was preceded in death by his loving parents, James Franklin Hutchison and Margaret Untriener Hutchison; brother, Glen Darren Hutchison, of Little River, SC; and a nephew, Robert Allan, of Asheville.

He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Diane Hutchison; children, Colin Scott (Tracy), of McKinney TX, and Jenny Hutchison Early (Dan), of Asheville; grandchildren, Annelise Hutchison, Benjamin Early and Isaac Hutchison; sisters, Donna Stepp and DeeDee Allan; nephews, Aaron Allan and Dennis Stepp; nieces, Karen Richeter, Katie Wilkins and Elizabeth McCormick; three great-nieces and four great-nephews; and two grandchildren of the heart, Ashley Rice and Celeste Perry.

Jimmy was a West Asheville native and a member of Trinity United Methodist Church his entire life. He graduated from Lee H. Edwards in 1969. He loved music and was honored to be a part of the All State Choral in Greensboro in 1967 and 1968. He joined the Army in 1970 and served proudly for 13 years, stationed in Shemya, AK, Vint Hill Farms, VA, Okinawa, Japan, San Antonio, TX, and Misawa, Japan.

Returning to Asheville after the military, he obtained his Associates degree in Criminal Justice from AB Tech and went on to work for the North Carolina Department of Corrections where he retired from in 2012 with 23 years of service.

Jimmy was an avid reader and loved history. He was initiated into the Masons in January of 1998, achieving the rank of 3rd degree Mason that same year. He was also an avid and passionate model car collector.

The family expresses their thanks to Four Seasons Hospice, Chad, Jason, and Samantha for the excellent care provided to Jimmy and especially Chaplain Yoshita Takahashi for his support and kindness.

A Celebration of Life, with military honors, will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church, 587 Haywood Road Asheville, NC on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. The family will receive friends in the church fellowship hall following the service. Private burial will take place at the Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery, Black Mountain.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Four Seasons Hospice or to the Gary Sinise Foundation.

Groce Funeral Home on Patton Ave. is assisting the family.