Emma Grace Hutchinson

August 25, 2008

Emma Grace Hutchinson, a beloved member of the Rice University and Trinity University communities, died Saturday, August 23 at the age of 20.  Emma was the daughter of Paula and John Hutchinson and sister of Ashlyn and Ryan Munson. She was a graduate of St. Catherine’s Montessori and St. Stephens Episcopal School in Houston and was a junior at Trinity University in San Antonio, where she studied Mathematics, Philosophy, and Literature.  She died at Texas Children’s Hospital of complications related to her life-long illness with polycystic kidney disease.

A memorial service for Emma will be held in the Parker Chapel at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 29, with a reception to follow in the Parker Chapel reception room. Emma’s family and friends are grateful for the wonderful outpouring of support they have been receiving from the Trinity community. Emma was always thinking of others, and in lieu of flowers her preference would be donations to a fund in Emma’s name that will be established at Texas Children’s Hospital.

Emma was an extraordinary person who, despite her few years, brightened and inspired the lives of literally thousands around her.  She was remembered today by one of her teachers for “her love of life; her strong independence, her personal integrity, her mind, her wit, her wonderful sense of humor, her joy, her constant engagement in life, her seeming utter lack of a judgmental mind and her enormous courage.”  Overcoming a life of constant illness and many hospitalizations, Emma led a vigorous life, performing in musical theatre, playing tennis, hiking in the Colorado mountains, skiing and snowshoeing, playing softball, playing the guitar and composing songs, reading, journaling, sketching, and studying.  She loved the stories of Jane Austen, J.K. Rowling, and The Simpsons.  In June of this year family and friends watched in awe as Emma walked down the aisle as maid of honor for Ashlyn and Ryan. She laughed often and loudly, and was called today “a firecracker, with a beautiful spirit and a breathtaking smile.”

Emma lived most of her life on the campus of Rice University as the daughter of college masters and as a member of Wiess and Brown Colleges. From both, she made hundreds of friends and inspired the lives of thousands of others.  One of the crowning achievements and joys of Emma’s life was attending Trinity University, where the bells have been ringing in her memory. At Trinity she was loved by the many friends in her posse, her PDK sorority sisters, and caring faculty.

Emma’s life was truly packed with more laughter, delight, experiences, and love, than many people can hope to enjoy in much longer lives.  Her life was also full, sadly, of struggle against illness, which she faced with grace and tenacity. Emma lived her entire life under the care of Texas Children’s Hospital, led for over 17 years by Dr. Eileen Brewer to whom Emma and her family owe their lives.  Her family is grateful to the entire health care team at TCH for their hard work, talent, and compassion.

Emma’s grandparents were Rosa Hutchinson of Corpus Christi and Austin, Jane and Charlie Krumboltz of San Antonio, and Chuck and Maxine Hutchinson of Sugarland. Jane, her Grammy, donated the kidney which gave Emma a rich life for over 18 years. Emma dearly loved her family, including Suzy, Owen, Judi, Gordy, Chuck, Karla, Glenna, Bruce, Chuck, Martha, Whitney, Mallory, Geoffrey, Jaime, Emily, Sarah, Liz, Martin, Chuck, Lisa, Brooks, Hunter, Lily, Grant, Garrett, Jason, Stella, Ken, Laura, Hannah and many, many friends considered family.

© 2008 Trinity University