Larry Hutchison

TORRINGTON, WY...
Celebration of Life for LARRY HUTCHISON, will be held May 21, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. at the Goshen County Fairgrounds Rendezvous Center, officiated by David Anderson. All are welcome to stay immediately following the service.
This obituary was started and tossed more times than one could count and was finally brought together in one of Larry's favorite places – his truck and trailer on the way to pick up a horse. While fighting Denver traffic a "Larry Phrase" came to mind "It takes all kinds to fill the freeway." Don't worry though, Larry, we tried to drive it like we were "making payments on it!"
Born to Gene and Irene (Halligan) Hutchison on November 29, 1951, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Larry lived his early life in the Valentine, Nebraska, area. He attended grades K-10 in Valentine prior to the family moving to Chadron where he graduated in 1970.
After high school, Larry attended Chadron State College, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Education, as well as the fond nickname of "Luke Warm" while competing with the CSC Rodeo Team in calf roping and bulldogging. He was an excellent student, as proven by his induction to the Blue Key National Honorary Society, but everyone knows his real dream in life was just being a cowboy. He graduated in May of 1975.
Larry's love of education was a strong one that inspired him to teach math, chemistry, and science in Elgin and Mullen, Nebraska, for the following three years. A true man of "many hats", he also added farrier to his resume so he could shoe his own horses. Though he may have removed the official title of teacher, he never stopped teaching when he found an opportunity. He was passionate about passing on his knowledge of horses and rodeo to the next generation. He never shied away from helping a kid achieve any of their dreams.
Knowing Larry meant you knew his love for rodeoing, team roping with excellent horses, and hunting with the finest dogs. He had many hobbies including leather tooling, braiding, reading Western Novels and Cowboy poetry, collecting guns, smoking meats, raising red Angus cattle, and dancing a good polka. It was also never a struggle to entice him with a good game of cards.
In 1977, Larry fell in love with a Great Dane named Bounce, who was cared for by a fellow lover of education named Penny. He took the pair with him on the road for a summer of rodeos and romance and quickly realized that if he wanted to keep the dog, he had to marry the girl. They eloped on December 27 of the same year. But Bounce was only the beginning – their love for dogs resulted in breeding and raising incredible Australian Shepherds and Labrador Retrievers for over 36 years.
They were blessed with two sons, Luke, born in 1979 and Matt, born in 1981. In the years following, Larry went on to become an independent insurance agent with agencies in Omaha and later in Torrington – an endeavor that ultimately led them to plant their Wyoming roots when they moved from Omaha in 1991. Larry was proud to watch their boys grow up and find their way in the world, with Luke sticking to the cowboy way of life in Montana and Matt going on to serve 23 years in the Wyoming Army National Guard. Larry looked forward to visiting Luke's family in Montana and watching his granddaughters doing what they loved, as well as having Matt's kids frequent the house, bringing all the hugs and kisses they could. All the kids sure liked to keep him on his toes!
Larry was a man who knew the value of honesty with a no "bull" (and not the bovine kind) attitude, who made sure people knew what they were getting up front. He may not have been the kind to tell you what you wanted to hear, but you can be sure that he would tell you what you needed to hear. "If you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough."
Larry was preceded in death by his father, Gene; his brother, Lee; his in-laws, Marion and Charley Shumway; and the many close friends who he has found in Heaven.
He is survived by his mother, Irene; wife, Penny; sisters, Kathy (Clayton) Brunt, and Cheryl (Bunk) White; brother, Mark; brothers-in-law, Cactus (Jan) Shumway and Roger (Deb) Crabb; sons Luke (JoBeth) and Matt (Tara); grandchildren, Heidi, Lily, Lydia, Kaidence and John; and 12 nieces and nephews.
Being a true Cowboy at heart, his wish was to be cremated and have his ashes spread in the dust and mud of America's rodeo arenas, the rolling hills of cow-country, and hunting grounds. If you would be hitting any of these places, please take a small portion with you for his final ride to set him free.