Robert O. Hutchinson

1928 - 2018

Robert Olin Hutchinson of Duxbury died peacefully on October 23, 2018, at Benchmark-Plymouth Crossing. Robert, known as Bob, grew up in Plymouth and graduated with honors from Plymouth High School in 1945. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1950 and went on to complete his graduate degree at Boston College in Geophysics. He served in the U.S. Naval Aviation Service as a Midshipman in World War II. From 1950-1954, Bob worked for the Geo-Physics Division, U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in Washington, D.C. For 29 years, he worked for the government at the Air Force Geophysics Laboratory at Hanscom AFB. Working as a project scientist for magnetic field measurements made on the ground, from behind ships, military aircraft, sounding rockets, satellites and space probes. He traveled from above the Artic tree line to Ascension Islands in the South Atlantic, across the magnetic equator in South America and to the South Pacific. Bob's contributions in geomagnetism are reflected in the scientific literature and in the technical support that he provided to the Air Force Space and Missile System Programs. After retirement he started a second career teaching physics, math and geology at Duxbury High School and especially enjoyed teaching AP classes. An avid sailor, he sailed Marshall Catboats along the coast from Conn., to Maine. He was an active member of the North of the Cape Chapter of the Catboat Association and a founding member, boat owner and later Commodore of the Duxbury Frostbite Society. In the early 1960s, Bob served as a sailing instructor and board member for the Duxbury Sea Scouts. Later in life he traded in the catboat for a 28 ft. Cape Dory motorboat and was a member of the Plymouth Yacht Club. Bob was a past member of the Genesis Amateur (Ham) Radio Society holding an Extra Class license (K1EHJ), the American Legion (50+ years), the Rotary, Kiwanis and the Community Men's Club. Bob enjoyed cats, birding and nature and went on many elder hostel trips to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and cruises on the U.S. intercoastal waterways. Bob was predeceased by his wife of 50 years, Edith Hodgdon Hutchinson of Duxbury. He is survived by his sister, Laura Mowson of Illinois; daughters, Joan Thomas of Plano, Texas, and Deborah (Gerald) Govoni of Duxbury; sons, Robert (Annette) Hutchinson of Key Largo, Fla., and David (Charlotte) Hutchinson of Melbourne, Fla.; and 6 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and 1 great great-grandchild. Burial was at the Mayflower Cemetery in Duxbury and funeral services were private.