Obituary for Robert H. Hutchings
Robert H. (“Bobâ€) Hutchings, 91, a long-time resident of Rye, currently presiding in Northfield IL, died January 22, 2017.
Bob was born in Utica NY, the son of Walter F. and Zelda (Thomas) Hutchings. He went to Attica High School, where he received the American Legion Award of Merit for outstanding ability in leadership, scholarship and athletics. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Corps as an AAF Cadet, with pilot and bombardier qualifications, and flew as Assistant Engineer on B-17 Transition Flights at Hendricks Field, Sebring FL. He received the American Defense Ribbon, and the Good Conduct Medal. He attended Syracuse University on the GI Bill, where he received his BS in 1950 with a Major in Radio Administration & Speech and a Minor in Sociology.
A 49-year resident of Rye, Bob was elected Rye City Councilman in 1996. He was City Council liaison to the Rye Recreation Commission, the Rye Cable Commission and the Rye Free Reading Room. He was known mostly for his work as a producer of government informational TV programs on local channel RCTV. He retired from the Rye City Council January 1, 2004, after serving two elected terms.
Bob had started an illustrious career in Marketing and Advertising from simple beginnings selling Fuller Brushes door to door in college. He later took a sales position at IBM, and became IBM Branch Manager in Scranton, PA. Quickly noticed by Thomas J. Watson, the founder of IBM, he was named Manager of Advertising and Promotion for IBM Office Products in 1955. There, he was responsible for naming and launching the famous IBM Selectric Typewriter, and won Advertising’s greatest honor, twice: a Clio Award in 1970 and 1973 for the Magnetic Card Selectric Typewriter and the Correcting Selectric Typewriter. In 1987, IBM loaned him to the New York City Partnership, led by Mayor Ed Koch, to manage the NYC Summer Jobs ’87 advertising and promotion campaign, helping 46,000 inner-city teenagers ‘get their first break.’ In 1978, he joined IBM Instruments, an independent business unit, where he introduced one of the first computerized database systems for sales inquiries and lead handling. In 1981, he was promoted to IBM Corporate Advertising, as Director, and led the marketing team in the introduction of IBM’s first personal computer, code-named “Project Chess.†He retired from IBM in 1989 after 39 years of service.
Bob served the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) as a member of its Board of Directors for 13 years. He was Chairman of the DMA’s Ethics Committee, Secretary of the Executive Committee, Chairman of the DMA Education Committee and founded the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF). He was a member of the Advisory Board of the New York University Center for Direct Marketing and served a similar role for the Graduate School of Direct Marketing at Northwestern University. He taught and lectured on many marketing subjects to audiences of all ages at Cornell University, Northwestern University, New York University, Pace University, University of Missouri and Mercy College.
Wallace G. Wilkinson, the Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, bestowed upon him a commission of “Kentucky Colonel†in 1988 for his work with Johns Hopkins’ Wilmer Eye Institute on a joint venture between IBM and NASA in the creation of an optical device to help patients with Macular Degeneration, a condition which rendered Bob legally blind since 1984.
Bob leaves his beloved wife of 66 years, Norma; his daughter Bette Anne Duffy and her husband Timothy; and a grandson, whom he considered his ‘best friend,’ Kevin Robert Duffy, all of Northfield IL. His sister, Orma Welker, of Attica NY predeceased him.
All services will be held at Saint Philip the Apostle Catholic Church, 1962 Old Willow Road, Northfield, IL on Saturday February 4, 2017. Visitation 9:30AM; Funeral Mass 10:30AM. Interment will be held some days following at Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Syracuse NY. Arrangements are being handled by N.H. Scott & Hanekamp Funeral Home, Glenview IL.
Memorial gifts in Mr. Hutchings’ memory can be made to Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore MD 21287 for research and development toward the cure of Macular Degeneration.
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