Alfred Gordon Hutchins

Hutchins, Alfred Gordon, Colonel USAF ret died September 18, 2005. ?Mr. Al,? as family and friends knew him, leaves us with the same dignity and courage with which he lived. Born on July 28, 1921 in Salt Lake City Utah, COL Hutchins moved with his family to Los Angeles, CA in the 1920?s where he earned an athletic scholarship to UCLA when he won the state 990 high school track championship. Leaving UCLA and enlisting in the Army at the outbreak of World War II, he earned a field commission during combat operations in North Africa in 1943 and became a career intelligence officer, serving with distinction with the Strategic Air command and both the Defense and Central Intelligence Agencies. During the Vietnam conflict he served as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence for both the 7th Air Force and the Air Force Systems Command. He was a skilled aviator and distinguished graduate of the National War College. The award of the Air Force Distinguished Service medal and the Legion of Merit acknowledged his substantial contributions to the Air Force and the Nation. Following his Air Force and federal government career, COL Hutchins pursued his passion for blue water sailing, both on board his beloved sloop ?Banshee? and by founding and operating a boat delivery service in Annapolis, MD. A great man of the greatest generation, COL Hutchins guided and mentored his family and friends with limitless patience and compassion. He could fix just about anything and his gardening skills were legend. He will be missed terribly by his wife Norma, his son Alfred Jr., his daughter Cathy King, his daughter-in-law Leslie, his step-children Peter LaGattuta and Anne Fox, his grandchildren Cathy Anne King, Kimberly Koumoutseas, James King, Eric Hutchins, Jon Simmons, Pierson LaGattuta, Weber LaGattuta, and his great-grandchildren Madeline Bowman and Riley-Grace Koumoutseas. He leaves this world better for his brief presence. A memorial service for COL Hutchins will be held at Anderson-McQueen Funeral & Cremation Centers-NE St. Petersburg, 2201 Dr. M.L. King St. N., St. Petersburg on Friday September 23, 2005 from 4:00PM to 7:00PM with a service at 6:00PM. In lieu of flowers, his family requests donations to Fisher House Foundation, 1401 Rockville Pike, Suite 600, Rockville, MD 20852. The Fisher House supports America?s military in their time of need, meeting humanitarian needs beyond those normally provided by the Department of Defense. Online guestbook @ www.andersonmcqueen.com