John Tolbert Hutchens

John Tolbert Hutchens, 87, of Metairie, Louisiana, died peacefully on Wednesday, June 16, 2021 after a valiant battle with dementia. He was a beloved son, husband, father, grandfather, prominent New Orleans business leader, and man of great faith.

John Tolbert Hutchens was born in an adobe hut in San Jon, New Mexico, on December 21, 1933 to Don Barney Hutchens and Ruth Leola Hughes Hutchens. John and his sister, Mona Joy, moved with his family to Pampa, Texas where he played high school football and served his school as Student Council President. This marked the beginning of a lifelong tenure of leadership. He graduated from Pampa High School in 1952 and received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Texas Tech University in 1956. 

He took his first job at Ernst & Ernst accounting firm in Houston, Texas in the summer of 1956 and eventually married his childhood friend and high school sweetheart, Patricia Ruth Johnson on June 8, 1957.  They moved to Metairie, Louisiana in 1960 where they welcomed their children Jay Timothy, David Bradley, and John Patrick Hutchens into the world.

He believed that leadership was, above all, a call to service. He extended that service lavishly, and it made him a revered pillar of his community, his church, and the city of New Orleans.

He served his firm, Ernst & Young LLP, for more than four decades, ultimately retiring as Managing Partner for the Louisiana practice. In 1992, he received the Public Service Award for the state of Louisiana presented by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

He served as President and Chairman of The World Trade Center; and also on the Executive Committee of the University of New Orleans Foundation, where he also served on its Board of Directors.

John Hutchens was President of the New Orleans Rotary Club. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Crime Commission of Greater New Orleans and served two terms as its chairman. He also served on the Board of Directors of the UNO Business/Higher Education Council and the Louisiana Council for Economic Education.

John Hutchens was active in the United Way of New Orleans. He served on the Board of Directors of the Economic Development Council, the Chamber's Committee of 50, the New Orleans Chapter of Travelers Aid, and the American Cancer Society, among others. 

He was also active in the education of his children and his community. He served as Chairman of the Finance Committee and then as Director of the Jefferson Committee for Better Schools. He served as President of the Parent-Teacher Groups of Harold Keller Elementary School and James Madison Junior High School where his three sons were students.

In 1986, Mr. Hutchens was selected as one of the Ten Outstanding New Orleanians by the Institute of Human Understanding, and was selected as one of the 25 Role Models for 1995 by the Young Leadership Council of New Orleans.

John Hutchens’ most loyal and enduring service was to the Hickory Knoll Church of Christ where he was beloved since joining in 1960. He was a constant presence, serving the church as treasurer, elder, song leader, and Sunday school teacher. 

John took great pleasure in traveling with his wife and best friends, Jes and Annette Williams of Friendswood, Texas. He was an avid reader and enjoyed Tom Clancy novels and World War II histories. He embodied the spirit of dignity and sacrifice that defined “the Greatest Generation.” He will be most fondly remembered for his love and loyalty to his wife, Patricia, and his sons, Jay, David, and Johnny.

John was preceded in death by his father, Don Barney Hutchens, his mother, Ruth Leola Hughes Hutchens and his sister, Monta Joy Hutchens Turner. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Ruth Johnson Hutchens and his three sons and their wives, Jay and Susan Hutchens of Jackson, Tennessee; David and Robbie Hutchens of Smyrna, Tennessee; and Johnny and Jodie Hutchens of Covington, Georgia. 

He is also survived by four grandchildren, Emory Ann Hutchens of Smyrna, Tennessee; William Timothy Hutchens of Knoxville, Tennessee; Oliver Bradley Hutchens of Smyrna, Tennessee and Neeley Ruth Hutchens of Jackson Tennessee.

Visitation will be held at Hickory Knoll Church of Christ, 2201 Hickory Avenue in Harahan, LA on Monday, June 21 from 9am - 11am in the main auditorium with the Memorial Service following at 11am in the auditorium.  Alan Laguna, Eric Dishongh, and Dennis Jones will be officiating the service.  The committal service will follow in Garden of Memories Cemetery, 4900 Airline Drive in Metairie, LA.  

The family requests that donations in John’s honor be made to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans or The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana.

 

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