Obituary of Darrell "Hutch" Hutchins

HUTCHINS, Roy Darrell, age 73, of Mt. Juliet passed away on December 15, 2021. He was born in Smith County, Tyler, Texas on September 21, 1948. He was preceded in death by his parents, Carrell Dewayne Hutchins and Billie Virginia (Green) Hutchins; and daughter, Tessa Moore Baggett. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Shirley and daughter, Kelley (Chris) Metzgar; grandchildren, Jessica (Justin) Dunsavage, Dylan (Cally) Basner, Nathan Basner, Braden Metzgar, Nikki Baggett and Melanie Baggett; great-grandchildren, Kayla, Lane and Paige Thornton, Jaidyn Dunsavage and Willa Mae Basner; sister, Debra Hutchins Miller; and nephew, Robert (Kim) Henley. He attended Chapel Hill High School prior to joining the Navy Reserves in August 1968. His first tour of duty was Da Nang, Vietnam. He served aboard the Richard K. Turner and the USS Samuel Gompers. Upon return to the States, he was stationed in San Deigo. He received the National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal. He was honorably discharged in 1974 after six years of service. After his military duty, he attended Tyler Junior College and worked for General Electric. He married Shirley Horton on December 17, 1973. They moved from Tyler to Chandler, Texas in 1983. He worked for Schlumberger Well Services prior to 1990 when he went to work for PepBoys Automotive where he would work for 20 (plus) years as an ASE certified mechanic. He transferred to Tennessee in 1991 for his wife to begin her career in the music industry. He resided in the Nashville suburb community of Mt. Juliet for 28 years. He was a founding family and member of the New Heart Christian Church. He was an avid bowler, he taught junior bowling in Texas. He loved to fish; he collected coins and antique knives. He enjoyed his “retirement” working on small engines. A “Celebration of Life” Memorial Service will be held at Sellars Funeral Home at Mt. Juliet on Sunday, December 19th at 5:00pm with Paul Steiner officiating. Visitation will be held on Sunday from 3:00 until time of service at 5:00. Graveside with Military Honors will be held in Tyler Memorial Gardens in Tyler, Texas on Wednesday, December 22nd. Honorary pallbearers, fellow Vietnam veterans: James Baker, Bernie Knott, and Jerry Herring. Memorial contributions can be made to New Heart Christian Church (Lebanon, TN) and Vietnam Veterans of America – Lebanon TN chapter. Arrangements by Sellars Funeral Home at Mt. Juliet, 2229 N. Mt. Juliet Road, Mt. Juliet, TN 37122, 615-758-5459, obituary line 615-758-8818, www.sellarsfuneralservices.com.