John Hutchens

John Gilbert Hutchens or “Big John” 72 of Forbush passed away peacefully on April 4th, 2025. John was born in Winston Salem North Carolina and grew up on Main Street in Yadkinville where his parents Gilbert Hutchens and Lena Weatherman ran the Eagle Grocery. He married Janet Poindexter in 1981 and they were together until her passing in December of 2020. He is survived by his daughter Emma (Thom), his older brother Jerry and his niece Jessa (Derek) as well as cousins, extended family and many loving friends.

John graduated from Forbush High School in 1970 and attended Wake Forest University where he received a Bachelor of Arts. In 1979 he began working as a substitute teacher at Forbush high school where he served for 39 years. He also worked in the radiology library at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital until retiring in 2008.

He was an actor in many productions with the Arts Council; an incredible rock and roll, blues and bluegrass singer and music lover through and through. He played in several bands including Fancy Dan which started in 1978 and most recently, Blues DeVille. He was a collector and an excellent storyteller with a wealth of knowledge about history, film, literature, music and sports. He loved pulling for the New York Yankees and seeing live theater and music with his friends.

John served on the board of the Richmond Hill Law School and was a member of the Ruritan Club. He is preceded in death by his mother and father Gilbert and Lena and his wife, Janet. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Yadkin Arts Council or the Friends of the Yadkin County Public Library in his honor.

There will be a memorial service held at Gentry Funeral home in Yadkinville on Saturday, April 12th at 2pm followed by a reception and celebration of life in the Yadkin Arts Council Courtyard from 3:30-5:30pm.