Alan D. Hutchings

Alan David Hutchings passed away at 1:08pm on Friday, August 25th, 2017.

Son of Carmelina and Edward Hutchings, Alan was born on April 11th, 1959. His life will be one remembered for its complexity, its richness, and the immense love he carried within him. In grief, we are at a loss not only for the man who was so much to us – husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle, mentor, friend, companion – but for words to commemorate his passage. And this is a blessing, for Alan was a man unlike any other, and we are grateful to have known him. That we should hold our breath for a moment, that we should pause, speaks to the uncommon breadth and the depth of his impact and the love we in turn carry for him.

When we find the words, we find them unavoidably in the heroic.

Alan was a man of deep feeling, and his sense of wonder was measureless. Everything was special to him, tinged with echoes of the numinous, and he was eager in his desire to share his profound sense of meaning with the world. He pursued this not only through his unique conversational gifts, but through arts and letters and music, through any avenue possible, and he cherished the opportunity to share this with others. To experience the world with him was to experience it with an overwhelming wealth, and gravitas, and to be inspired. If we that knew him strive for honesty, for truth, for virtue, for beauty, for connection, for harmony, for family, for justice, for expression, for freedom and fulfillment, we do so in no small part because of our acquaintance with him.

Alan would want it known that he was a man devoted to the dream of family, that he gave everything in his power to be a husband, a father, a provider and a teacher. Survived by his wife Anita, his sons Aaron, Salvatore, and Cecil, his stepdaughter Ani, and numerous grandchildren, he strove through much hardship to do good, to do right, and to do better.

Alan would want it known that he was a man who worked hard, and through his labor and his sacrifices made possible the dreams of those he cared for. He was a driver, as well as a draftsman, a photographer, a writer – a man who, with little formal education, pioneered his career through the strength of his intellect, his work ethic, and his passion for what he did.

Alan would want it known that he cherished his sobriety, and that for 34 years he helped so many who strove to follow the same path. For those who benefited from his council, his impact on their lives is immeasurable.

We cherish our memories of him, and we feel an irrepressible sense of loneliness at his passage. But we remember that Alan was an adventurer, a wanderer, a soul in passage. We remember his love of nature, and of travel, and of freedom. Though we may hold our breath while we search for words and consolation, we do so also knowing that his is a story that in time will find its telling, as it must.

Alan's ashes are in nature. Alan will receive a marker at Fort Logan Cemetery.

Long May You Run, Alanito.

We Love You.

Friends and family are welcome to pray and pay respects Sunday at 10:30am for the next seven Sundays (beginning on Sunday, September 10, 2017) at the Congregation of Vietnamese and American Buddhists, 2050 N. Clinton Street, Aurora, CO 80010.

To share a special memory or condolence with Alan's family, please visit the guestbook below.