Lt. Col. William Kinsey “Bill” Hutchinson II

Lt. Col. William Kinsey “Bill” Hutchinson II, age 94, of Upper St. Clair, PA died peacefully on April 1^st, 2021.

Bill is survived by his loving wife Lois, his twin brother Bob (Mary Lou), sister Martha Ann Byington, son Bill (Allyn), daughter Nancy (Bud) Bell, granddaughter Hiedi (Roddy), grandson Eric, and great-granddaughters Abigail and Emily.  He was preceded in death by his son Steve.

Twins Bill and Bob were born on September 2^nd, 1926 in Reading, PA, to Robert Baldwin and Harriet Olive Hutchinson, née Littlehales. In 1944, Bill was called to active duty with the Army Air Corps.  Following the war and being honorably discharged, using the GI Bill, attended and graduated from Albright College, where he met the love of his life, Lois.  In 1950, after graduation, they married.  Returning from their honeymoon, Bill and Lois found a note on their door calling Bill into active duty as a Second Lieutenant in the newly formed Air Force to serve in Korea.  Upon his return his family grew and they were stationed at bases within the US and internationally; Tokyo, Japan and Naples, Italy.

Bill worked on the Apollo 8 and other space programs, including Apollo 13.  In 1974, Bill retired as a Lieutenant Colonel and worked for Rockwell International in Pittsburgh, PA and Southern California heading up their computer division and the Space Shuttle program, retiring in 1997.   Lois and Bill were flown to Washington, DC, where Bill was awarded the “NASA Return to Manned Space Flight Medal” for his work and dedication on the Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-26), NASA’s return to manned space flight following the Challenger (STS-25) disaster.

Before returning to Pittsburgh, Bill and Lois lived in Fountain Valley, CA, where they were members of St. Wilfrid’s Episcopal Church.  They were involved in Kofu Bonsai Kai, Golden State Bonsai Federation, other Bonsai clubs, and California Aiseki Kai (Suiseki, the Japanese art of stone appreciation).  Bill was master stain glass craftsman; his work is on display at St. Wilfrid’s Episcopal Church in Huntington Beach.

Bill was an active and dedicated member of the Episcopal Church where he served as Lay Minister in foreign and domestic diocese over the years.  He was a generous, witty, and dedicated individual who loved golf and was passionate about sharing his knowledge with others.  His children remember him as a kind and gentle father who encouraged them to pursue their goals and to learn the language and customs of any country they lived in or visited.

Bill will have a Full Military Honors Funeral Service at National Cemetery of the Alleghenies on a future date.  The family would like to thank the staff at Friendship Village of South Hills, Upper St. Clair, PA for their care and support over the years.