Clement J. Hutchinson Jr.

Clement J. Hutchinson Jr, age 92, of Grants Pass, died Tuesday, September 8, 2009 at Three Rivers Community Hospital.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 10, 2009 in Santa Cruz, California. For information please call either Marge at 541-472-9500 or Joey at 408-422-2535. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of local arrangements.

Clement was born March 13, 1917 in Faribault, Minnesota to Margaret & Clement Hutchinson. He was raised in Faribault where he started playing clarinet at a young age. He went on to Rochester, New York where he graduated with a master’s degree from Eastman School of Music. He was then a professor of music at Oklahoma A&M where he met Ruth Anne Gerard and married her on June 4, 1948 in Russellville, Arkansas. They moved to Southern California where he taught at USC, then moved to San Jose, California where he taught at San Jose State University until his retirement. In 2003 he moved from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Grants Pass.

Clement created the Santa Clara Valley Youth Band and was the director for 19 years.

His memberships included California Teachers Association; Musicians Union; phi Kappa Lambda; Bay Area Music Educations National Conference where he was past president; Army Band; San Jose Symphony; Santa Clara Philharmonic Symphony; Amici Della Musica; Chamber Orchestra; and Ashland Community Band.

He especially enjoyed playing his clarinet in orchestras, biking, and swimming.

In addition to his wife, Ruth Anne Hutchinson of Grants Pass, Oregon; he is survived by six children, Frances Gerard Hutchinson of Kauai, Hawaii, Margaret A. Schuessler of Grants Pass, Oregon, Clement Hanes Hutchinson of Grants Pass, Oregon, Janet Ruth Mackay of Claremore, Oklahoma, Charles Scott Hutchinson of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Robert John Hutchinson of San Jose, California; a sister, Francis Davis of San Bernardino, California; 24 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a son, Jamie Bruce Hutchinson.