Timothy Reed Hutchinson

There's a little less magic in the world today. Timothy Hutchinson was born July 10, 1951 and lived most of his life in Defiance, Ohio, a community he loved and in which he formed many deep connections. He participated in community life through serving on the board of the Public Library and the Tuttle Museum and as a member of The First Presbyterian Church of Defiance.  He balanced small town life with many travels and friendships around the world. 

Tim earned his undergraduate degree from Muskingum College in 1973. He obtained his Juris Doctorate degree from Lewis and Clark Law School in 1979, taking a year off between studies to spend 6 months travelling in Europe as well as some time working on a fishing boat in Alaska.   Following graduation, Tim moved to San Francisco, CA and began his career as a clerk for City Hall. Following the passing of Tim’s father, Reeder Hutchinson in 1982, he decided to move back to Ohio, passing the Ohio Bar in 1988. He worked for 12 years as the Assistant Defiance County Prosecutor for Defiance County. In recent years, Tim provided specialized legal support on a contractual basis for a Defiance law firm.

One of Tim’s favorite past times was holding court with anyone he was with, retelling the stories of his adventures in early adulthood, from his years traveling in Europe, working on deep sea fishing charter boats and living in fun cities. Tim had an encyclopedic knowledge of almost any topic of conversation and if you spoke with him about something he didn’t know much about, you could be sure that by your next conversation he would. Tim loved to do research and was always reading. He didn’t just read about things that interested him though, he went out of his way to learn about things that were important to the people he cared about. He was known for subscribing to newspapers in other cities, just so he could keep up with what was happening in the places where his friends and family were living.

His other passion was magic and he loved delighting people with his tricks. Children especially loved his tiny foam bunnies that he would make disappear and multiply. He had fond memories of going to magic shows with his father, Reeder Hutchinson, who was also a magician, and he formed friendships with other magicians all over the country.
Tim dedicated his life to helping his mother, Mildred, and doting on his surviving nieces and nephew, who never got tired of his stories and his magic tricks. He was always ready to assist with advice on how to get the best possible deal for any major purchase; cars, electronics, phone plans- he put his incredible research skills to great use. He also spent years researching and travelling to map out extensive family genealogies and could explain the complexities in detail from memory. Tim had friends across the country with whom he kept close contact and traveled to see regularly. Despite distance and the busyness of life, he made sure to keep in touch with the people he loved. 

He is survived by his nieces and nephew, Leana Tank, Audrey Hutchinson and Reed Befus. He was preceded in death by his father, Reeder Hutchinson, his mother, Mildred Hutchinson and his sister, Barbara Befus. 

We certainly weren’t ready for you to go, Tim, but your magic will live on forever with the people who love you.

A memorial service for Tim is being planned for the Spring. If you wish to make a donation in memory of Tim, please consider making a donation to the Defiance Public Library.

Schaffer Funeral Home was honored to assist the family with arrangements. 

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