Robert Hutchings

Robert Hutchings, 71, of Rochester, Indiana, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at 10:45 pm in his residence after a courageous battle with cancer.

On September 24, 1951, Robert was born to the late Robert and Phyllis Jean (Bata) Hutchings.  He attended Lincoln High School in Plymouth, Indiana.  He then went on to pursue his passion in restoring auto bodies and worked as an auto body painter for Precision Painting for 27 years.

Robert is survived by his children; Zacc (Leslie) Hutchings of Plymouth, Heather (Matthew) Reed of South Bend, Crystal Hutchings of Lakewood, Colorado, Ben (Emily) Hutchings of Plymouth and Jessica (Roscoe) Guthrie of Walkerton; Grandchildren, Zacc, Anna, Noelle, Myah, Michael, Carter, Ben, Madelyn, Abraham, Jayden, Aarianna, Laila, Calin and his Niece, April (Jeff) Daugherty of South Bend.  He was preceded in death by his sisters, Debra Hepler of Indianapolis, and Kimberley Ringle of South Bend.

Robert, fondly referred to as “Hutch” or “Bobby”, was above all, a kind soul.  He was God-fearing man and was tremendously proud of his deep faith and love for Jesus and the Word of the Bible.  His deepest hope was to glorify God in such a way that he could steer others into becoming believers.  He loved to help others, and was very good with his hands.  He could build anything and was eager to share his skills. He loved working on home improvement projects and spent a great deal of his idle time renovating his home.  He was a great friend, and was known for his loving and gentle personality.  Most importantly, he was a family man who was deeply rooted in tradition.  His children and grandchildren meant everything to him and he looked forward to long talks on the phone, and loved spending holidays with them, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas.  His passion for restoring all things automobiles was another pastime.  Over the years he had many project cars that he would restore with precision into “hot rods” of which he was very proud.  He really enjoyed taking them out and doing burn outs. He also loved going to watch Drag Races.   To the very end, he had a great sense of humor and his laugh will forever resonate in our memories.

Visitation will be from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at Johnson-Danielson Funeral Home, 1100 North Michigan Street, Plymouth, Indiana. A private family burial will follow at a later date.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Center for Hospice Care, 501 Comfort Pl. Mishawaka, IN 46545.