Roy Darrell Hutchins, age 73, of Mt. Juliet passed away on December 15, 2021.
He was born in Smith County, Tyler, Texas on September 21, 1948.
He is preceded in death by, his parents, Carrell Dewayne Hutchins and Billie Virginia (Green) Hutchins; and daughter, Tessa Baggett.
He is survived by his daughter, Kelley (Chris) Metzgar; grandchildren, Jessica (Justin) Dunsavage, Melanie Baggett, Dylan (Cally) Basner, Nathan Basner, Braden Metzgar, and Nikki Baggett; sister, Debra Hutchins Miller; and four great-grandchildren, Jaidyn Dunsavage, Kayla, Lane, Willa Mae, and Paige Thornton; 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 were married for 48 years. They moved from Tyler to Chandler, Texas in 1983. He lived in Chandler, Texas, and worked for Schlumberger Well Services for a number of years prior to 1990 when he went to work for Pepboys Automotive 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 for a number of years in Texas. He loved to fish; he collected restored antique knives. His favorite hobby was 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 5:00 pm with Paul Steiner officiating. A Family Graveside Service will be held in Tyler Memorial Gardens in Tyler, Texas with Jimmy Baker, Bernie Knott, and Caryl Strange serving as honorary pallbearers. The Visitation will be held on Sunday from 3:00 until time of service at 5:00.
All memorial contributions can be sent to New Heart Christian Church or Vietnam Veterans of America.
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.
