O. Wayne Hutton passed away peacefully surrounded by family in his home in Hammil Valley on Tuesday, November 26, at the age of 90. Wayne was born May 8, 1929 to his parents Odda E. Hutton and Anna E. Parks in Garden City, Kansas. The Hutton family, with 4 children in all, lived and worked on their farm in nearby Pierceville, Kansas.
His childhood memories include helping out on the farm by feeding and milking the cows, driving the tractors and other farm equipment, and building a Model-T Ford when he was 16. His favorite subject in school was geology, and the size of his graduating class in Pierceville High School was eleven students. He married Madelyn George in 1949, which later ended in divorce.
Wayne attended college at Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas. He had a strong interest in the composition of metals, which didn’t turn out to result in a career as a metallurgist, as he had hoped, but it served him well throughout life in his creation of various machines and structures.
Wayne entered the Navy in 1952, serving on the U.S.S. Henderson DD785. He went to Korea for a short time during his time in the service, and after a disabling accident on a motorcycle, he returned home to Kansas with a partial medical retirement. There he farmed, sold insurance, and ran a gas station, all at once.
In 1962, he moved to California, where his first job was as an electrician’s assistant. He went on to work at Caltech, Owens Valley Radio Observatory in 1964, where he became site superintendent. He retired in 1992 to spend more time at his farm, and remained friends with his Caltech family until his passing.
Wayne married Elizabeth Jean (Jeannie) Timmons in 1969, and they celebrated their 50th anniversary in June of this year. In 1976, they bought an alfalfa farm in Hammil Valley, with a stunning view of the White Mountains. The farm was active until about 2009, when they slowed down a bit to enjoy the beautiful surroundings, and travel across the states to visit loved ones. For the past 43 years, they have hosted Christmas and birthday parties, and black powder competitions at the sprawling ranch, to include local and out of town family and friends.
Wayne dedicated his time to the Tri-Valley Groundwater Management District, serving on the board for 26 years – a portion of that being as a chairperson. He was also an enthusiastic member of the black powder club Eastern Sierra Muzzle Stuffers for 25 years, serving as president for several years of that time.
Wayne didn’t meet a problem he didn’t want to solve, and was always involved in multiple home improvement projects or creative projects. Among the items he has built are: a satellite dish at Caltech, a steel guitar, a few black powder guns, a dune buggy, and myriad structures on the ranch. When he wasn’t working, his hobbies have included hiking, camping, gardening, playing guitar, leatherworking, black powder gun building, home improvement projects, black powder competition, and spending time with his family.
He relished telling a good story, and had a cherished extended family throughout the area, and in various states, whom he enjoyed spending time with. He was affectionately referred to by a friend as the “Mayor of the Hammil Valley”! He was very proud of his 5 children, 11 grandchildren, and 15 great grandchildren, and loved showing them the proper way to plant and tend a garden, dig a post hole, care for farm animals, tend to mechanics, and all kinds of farm maintenance. He enjoyed having them around him at the ranch and on outings together, where he strummed the guitar and sang songs.
Surviving relatives include his beloved wife Jeannie, and children Susan Ann (and Tim) King, Leslie Eileen (and Mark) Yamashita, Robert Lynn (and Pam) Hutton, Laura Suzanne “Sue” (and Dave) Hernandez, and was preceded in death by daughter Gail Kathleen Timmons in 2012. Surviving grandchildren include Carrie (and Seth) Schaeffer, Casey (and Mary) King, Cameron Timmons, Andrew Yamashita, Nathan Hutton, Jacob Hutton, David Hernandez, Steven (and Sophia) Hernandez, Jessica Hernandez, and Brian Hernandez. He was preceded in death by his grandson Matthew Hutton in 2017. He is also survived by his 15 great grandchildren, and various in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews and extended family.
A Memorial Service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church at 585 North Main Street in Bishop, California at 11:30 am on December 14, 2019. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the First Presbyterian Church in Bishop, or to your favorite charity.
