Obituary of Kimberly Ellen Hutchens

Kimberly Ellen Hutchens, 62, was born October 31, 1959 in Wurzburg, Germany and passed away peacefully on Sunday, April 3, 2022. Kimberly was born with Down's syndrome, but quickly demonstrated her adaptability and willingness to learn and grow. She was the youngest of three children, and was fully incorporated into a very mobile military family. During her childhood she lived in Germany, Newport News, VA; Fort Rucker, AL; Corpus Christi, TX; Springfield, VA; St. Louis, MO; Savanah, GA; and, Ft. Monmouth, NJ. Eventually Kimberly and her family moved to Atlanta, GA where she continued to make considerable progress, both at home and school. After graduation she began to work at the Sheltered Workshop in Atlanta until her parents moved to Melbourne, FL. Always easy going and excited to be useful, Kim continued her employment with the Brevard Achievement Center (BAC) in Rockledge until the COVID pandemic shut down operations. Outside of work and home Kimberly was an avid bowler with dozens of trophies giving testimony to her love of the game. In fact, she had been on the Special Olympic Bowling team, Ski Team and Softball Team. Bowling, however, was her thing, and she was pretty good at it, with high games of 165 in a league with numerous teams with colorful names: the Alley Cats, the Motley Crew, the Pin Busters and Two Guys and a Gal! Kim also loved participating in Sunday worship both with her family at Faith Viera Lutheran and as a part of the Special Gathering, a tremendous ministry for Special Needs people. At home her interests included a life-long love affair with music – particularly the Monkees and the Beatles – and with old-school sitcoms like Lost in Space, the campy Batman and Little House on the Prairie. In the days before DVD’s and streaming, you could set your clock by her devotion to these shows – and you had better plan around them! When not involved with her music and shows, Kim could be cajoled into helping around the house. She mastered a great many household skills including making her lunch, feeding and walking her dog Butch and setting the table for dinner. Her sense of humor was often evident in the table-setting, as she delighted in giving her dad the fork with the crooked tines or a big serving spoon in place of the regular spoon. She’d watch until the deed was discovered, then laugh in a way that was pure delight. In her last few years Kimberly suffered from Alzheimer’s which impacted her eyesight, mobility and cognitive abilities. What she retained, however, was her sweet spirit and the genuinely bright and cheerful “Hi!” with which she welcomed everyone into her life each morning. Kimberly is survived by her mother, Dorothy Hutchens, and her siblings, Adelia (Dee) Wardle and her husband, Tom, Melbourne, FL; and Richard (Ricky) and his wife, Susan, Birmingham, AL. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. Predeceased by her father Colonel Douglas L Hutchens. In lieu of flowers the Hutchens family would like donations to be given to the Special Gathering Ministry where so many of her social and spiritual needs were met. Checks should be made out to The Special Gathering, noting that this is in Memory of Kimberly Hutchens. The Special Gathering PO Box 685 Cocoa, FL 32923