DEANNA K. HUTTON

On May 7, 2008, Deanna K. Hutton passed away in Green Valley after a four year battle with bile duct liver cancer. She was a resident of Manzanita, Ore. and a winter resident of Green Valley.

She was born on Sept. 5, 1940, in Elkhart, Ind. to Paul and Marjorie (Slessman) Blair. Both parents and a brother tom preceded her in death. She is survived by her husband and best friend Walt.

After graduation from Elkhart High School, she went to work at a variety of jobs. She became active in politics and was the youngest Democratic Precinct Person in Elkhart County. At age 22, she enrolled in Indiana University, studying for a degree in social studies education. Her senior year she met Walt, who was studying for a master’s degree. They graduated and were married in 1966. They drove to California to start teaching in the Los Angeles City Schools. She bean as a social studies teacher and later was called upon to set up the first self-contained classroom for emotionally disturbed students in the L.A. system.

When Walt garnered a National Science Foundation Fellowship in Economics to Western Illinois University, Deanna also began to study toward educational counseling certification. After finishing their programs, Walt and Deanna returned to Los Angeles for one year.

In 1972, they accepted positions in the North Clackamas Schools in Milwaukie, Ore. They bought their first home in the country in Redland, Ore.. Deanna continued her counseling certification studies while teaching social studies. She became a high school counselor at Rex Putnam High School. She helped start many counseling programs at Rex Putnam and she was held in high regard by both students and staff. To quote one of her fellow teachers, “I can see your smile, hear your laughter, and the kids’ eyes light up around you to this day. You have been a special part of many lives.”

Deanna and Walt travelled widely for 40 years, beginning by tent camping throughout the Western U.S. On one summer camping trip, they tent camped in over 20 national parks and monuments. They moved on to camping in a VW bus, a truck camper and a travel trailer. They toured Europe six times and went to Hawaii multiple times. Her favorite travel spots were Madrid, Spain and the California-Oregon coast. Deanna was also an avid cook and gardener. Her home in Redland was almost a park-like setting.

Upon retirement in 1995, Deanna and Walt became snowbirds. They purchased a home in Green Valley and continued to live in Oregon in their beach home near Manzanita. They had personally done much of the work creating their beach home.

In 2004, Deanna was told she had bile duct liver cancer and that she had 90 days to live. After going to Mayo Clinic in Arizona, she found a doctor who was doing a national study of her rare form of cancer. He formulated a drug which extended her life for four more years. She was able to travel and play golf while taking over 120 treatments. Her doctor said Deanna was a poster child for her kind of cancer. While in treatment, she was able to counsel many other cancer patients.

“After 42 years of marriage, goodbye my loved one and I’ll miss you forever.” ~ Walt Hutton

Memorial services for Deanna Hutton will be held on Saturday, May 31, 2008, at 2 p.m. at Milwaukie Presbyterian Church in Milwaukie, Ore.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Deanna’s name to the Rex Putnam High School Scholarship Fund, 4950 SE Roethe Rd., Milwaukie, OR 97267.