Ronald Gilbert Hutchinson

Ronald Gilbert Hutchinson, beloved husband, father, grandfather, businessman, Marine, musician and servant of his faith and community, passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 16, 2026, surrounded by his wife of 63 years, Penelope “Penny” Carder Hutchinson, and his beloved family.

Ron was a man whose life was defined by service: to God, to his family, to his country, to his community, and especially to people who needed someone willing to stand up for them.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1935, Ron grew up in a family shaped by his father’s military service during World War II. The family moved frequently, and Ron attended numerous grade schools as a boy. Those early experiences helped shape the adaptability, independence and curiosity that remained hallmarks of his character throughout his life.

Ron graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1958, where his Catholic faith became an enduring foundation of his life. His faith was never merely something he professed; it was something he lived. He served at Saints Peter and Paul Parish in Naperville, Illinois, including as a rector of Cursillo #47, and later became deeply involved in St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church and the Dunwoody community. While at Christ the Redeemer Mission Church in Dawsonville, he helped establish a St. Vincent de Paul presence in the North Georgia/Dawsonville area with several other parishioners.

His faith also led him into a lifelong commitment to peace, justice and nonviolence. Ron was involved with Pax Christi, peace and justice efforts, and Beyond War during the 1980s. He was particularly influenced by the teachings of Father Emmanuel Charles McCarthy and by the conviction that the Gospel called Christians to reject violence and stand with those who were vulnerable or overlooked.

Ron also believed deeply in service to country. He proudly served as a United States Marine Corps first lieutenant, including a tour of duty in Iwakuni, Japan. The Marine ideal of Semper Fidelis, “always faithful,” suited him well. Faithfulness was one of the defining qualities of his life.

Ron Hutchinson spent decades at Simmons Company as an engineer and innovator in mattress and bedding technology, earning five U.S. patents for advances in mattress foundations, spring construction, adjustable support and mattress materials. His technical career ultimately led to senior corporate leadership as Simmons Company’s Vice President of Quality, where he was interviewed for the Smithsonian’s historical record of the company.

But perhaps his most consequential professional achievement came when he believed that his fellow employees were being treated unjustly. Ron served as the lead plaintiff in the class-action lawsuit Hutchinson v. Wickes Companies, Inc., brought on behalf of Simmons employees concerning their retirement plan. The case sought to protect the pension interests of Simmons employees after Wickes acquired the company and terminated the retirement plan.

That fight was characteristic of Ron. He was willing to stand up when he believed something was wrong, even when doing so was difficult.

His commitment to his community extended well beyond his professional life. He was an early volunteer with Habitat for Humanity and proudly displayed a photograph of himself with Jimmy Carter in his office. He served his parish and community in countless ways, often without seeking recognition.

Ron also had a deep love of music. He sang, played in choirs and delighted in entertaining the people around him. In his later years, he continued to make music with a banjo, tenor guitar, ukulele and harmonica, bringing songs and laughter not only to family, friends and parishioners, but also to his caregivers and fellow residents. Music was one of the ways he connected with people, and he never seemed to lose the joy of making someone else smile.

He was, above all, a family man. His greatest joy was seeing his children happy, healthy and building lives of their own. He leaves behind his beloved wife, Penny, and five children: Amy Kathleen, Bryan Carder, Elizabeth Mary (Frank), Sean Patrick (Jennifer) and Matthew DuVerne (Kristin); as well as ten grandchildren: Richy, Izzy, Calle, Ike, Roscoe, Ollie, Tallulah, Carder, Henry and Penny. His family was his greatest accomplishment and his deepest source of pride.

Those who knew Ron will remember his quick mind, his intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, love of music, strong opinions, clever wit and determination to help others. They will remember a man who could be both intensely serious about matters of justice and wonderfully playful about nearly everything else.

One family member once observed of Ron, “He had a good connection with the Lord from Day One.” Ron himself carried a characteristic confidence and humor about his role in the world, sometimes saying, “Right or wrong, I am still the Captain.”

But beneath the humor was a profound and simple philosophy of life, one that increasingly came to define the way he wanted to live. In his personal journal, Ron wrote:

The purpose of life is to love and to be loved in return. To give without expectation. There is no legitimate power other than love of others. Domination has no spiritual value. The antithesis of love is fear.

Ron spent his life trying to live those words.

He served. He loved. He built things. He fixed things. He challenged things that he believed were wrong. He made music. He made friends. He raised a family. And he never stopped believing that we have an obligation to leave the world a little better than we found it.

He will be deeply missed and forever loved.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated later this year, when family members and grandchildren can gather. Following the Mass, Ron’s cremated remains will be placed at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia, where he will rest in the peace of the faith that guided his life.

Semper Fi, Dad.