Mary Beth Hutchinson

Mary Beth Hutchinson of Arlington, Vermont passed away at the age of 77 in Bennington, Vermont on July 6, 2019 after a brief illness. She was the daughter of the late Dorothy Skadden Thomas and the late William E. Skadden. Born into a minister's family in central Illinois in 1942, Mary Beth was a middle child with 5 siblings. She was curious and daring and often went on great adventures, some of which got her into trouble, like stealing her folks' car every Sunday after church, because it was always better to confess your future sins. Mary Beth briefly attended college in the '60s where she met her love, then married, and had three wonderful children. Mary Beth always put her children first – her selflessness was beyond reproach. She made it to every recital, baseball/softball game, and ski meet and was a formidable coach in most all her kids' sports and life-ventures. Mary Beth was lucky enough to dabble in many different vocations over her lifetime and they all involved helping people in various ways. But the vocation she was most passionate about was being a pastor. While she attended Bangor Theological Seminary and received her Masters of Divinity later in life, in reality, Mary Beth ministered to so many WAY before she held her diploma. One of her greatest qualities was listening, not only to really hear what one was saying, but also to feel what was being communicated. Mary Beth was a kind, gentle, and giving soul with a quick wit who liked to shock people occasionally with a well-placed cuss ("Hey, pastors are human too!"). Some of her favorite things: lobster rolls, the Red Sox, snowy mountain tops, the sweet smell of the ocean, flowers, her dog Coda, the hymn "Joy To The World," and the energy and love in every family get together. Mary Beth will live on in our hearts, minds, thoughts, prayers, and laughs forever. She is survived by her sons, Christopher "Hutch" (Paige) Hutchinson and Richard (Jennifer) Hutchinson; daughter, Julie Hutchinson-Smith; brothers, William S. (Nancy) Skadden and James Timothy (Vanda) Skadden; sisters, Leah (Jack) Fink, Nancy (Hans) Feld, and Rose Marie Doty; grandchildren, Lukas Smith, Ryder Hutchinson, Sierra Hutchinson, Emery Hutchinson, Sean Smith, and Sophia (Chris) Costa; as well as seven nieces and nephews. A memorial service for Mary Beth will be held on August 17th at 10:30 am at the United Church of Dorset, 143 Church St. Dorset, Vermont. If desired, memorial donations may be made to the Congregational Church of Rupert P.O. Box 87 Rupert, VT 05768. Special thanks to the Bayada nursing and hospice team, the Congregational Church of Rupert, and the United Church of Dorset.