Nellie Truslow
Hutchins, 91
Nellie Truslow Hutchins, whose zest for life was surpassed only by her love for her family and her church, died on June 29, 2021, at Living Waters, the home she and her late husband, Amos F. Hutchins, Jr., built overlooking Indian River Bay near Ocean View, Del.
An expert gardener, tennis enthusiast, avid potter, passionate bird watcher, eager volunteer and world traveler, Mrs. Hutchins at 76 trained for three months at a nearby gym to hike the Grand Canyon's southern rim to the Colorado River. "Ten miles and nine hours later we were on the bottom beside the river…Meeting the challenge and succeeding was worth every second," she wrote in a 2007 memoir.
Mrs. Hutchins was a woman of boundless faith and her association with Mariner's Bethel United Methodist Church in Ocean View and Pastor Kay Lanasa fulfilled her spiritually. She hosted luncheons and fellowships for the church's Bible studies and its many ministries. For more than a decade, she was a dedicated helper at Vacation Bible School. Her knack for knitting led her to co-found Mariner's Prayer Shawl Ministry. Additionally, Mrs. Hutchins hosted Ocean View Ministry, officiated by Pastor Kay, in her home for nine years for scores of adults seeking spiritual renewal.
Her fondness for reading prompted her to weekly host the Early Birds Book Club in her home every fall, winter and spring for 16 years. With over 30 members, the group also contributed school supplies, donated to the homeless, provided needy families with Christmas gifts, and purchased a Kevlar vest for the Ocean View Police Department's K-9 dog.
Her generous hosting was not limited to humans. One winter she hosted a large bucket of baby oysters in her backyard as part of an Inland Coastal Bays project.
Mrs. Hutchins also was involved with Friends of South Coastal Library, serving six years as a board member and was praised by the library for her "enthusiasm and friendliness."
While her myriad activities were her joy, Mrs. Hutchins always spoke of her family with great pride. Her four children, their spouses, her 13 grandchildren and now her four great grandchildren centered her life. For many years, highlights of their togetherness included participating in Bethany Beach's Fourth of July parade with a family float and a Christmas celebration with all the trimmings at Living Waters.
Mrs. Hutchins always kept a table laden with crafts when her grandchildren came to visit "Mimi." They busily and happily created scrapbooks, gifts, and Christmas cards. And she made sure they were all properly schooled in clamming, kayaking, and an appreciation of the environment.
Born in Chestertown, Maryland, Mrs. Hutchins was the youngest of three daughters of Mildred Collins and Claude Everett Truslow, and is descended from a long line of Eastern Shore residents. Her grandfather, William H. Truslow, founded the Truslow Poultry Farm in 1882, regarded as the oldest poultry breeding farm in America.
Mrs. Hutchins grew up on the Chester River and from the age of seven was inseparable from the water. Sailing on her sailboat, The Three Sisters, was her first true love. She also enjoyed crabbing, fishing, canoeing, scouting, and waterfowl hunting. After her secondary education at Chestertown High School, she majored in merchandising at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, graduating in 1950. She returned to Chestertown and opened a knitting shop, the PegNell Shop, with her sister, Peggy. She later managed a ladies clothing shop there.
Although she first met Amos, her future husband at a sailing regatta when she was 16, they were reacquainted when he visited Chestertown on business after college. The couple wed in 1951 and moved to Baltimore. Mrs. Hutchins claimed he married her for her duck blind.
As a full-time mother to their two sons and two daughters, Mrs. Hutchins made sure their Baltimore home was the social center for family and friends. Mr. & Mrs. Hutchins raised their family in Ruxton, Md. for 30 years where she was very active in the school activities at Bryn Mawr, Gilman and Garrison Forest Schools.
After many summer vacations in Bethany Beach, the Hutchins knew they wanted to retire on the water. In 1986, they found the perfect lot at Quillen's Point on the Indian River Bay with the Atlantic Flyway above, a haven for bird watching.
Over the years, the Hutchins traveled the world on nature-centered trips, frequently on small ships to Arctic areas to observe the diverse wildlife.
In addition to her beloved husband of 54 years; Mrs. Hutchins was predeceased by her sister, Betty Welch.
Survivors include her children, Rebecca H. Becque (W. Scott) of Rehoboth Beach, Del., Amos F. Hutchins, III (Tina) of Hartfield, Va., Christopher M. Hutchins (Catherine) of Baltimore, Md., and Nancy H. Quirk (Thomas) of Sudbury, Mass.; her grandchildren, Jessica Becque, Meghan Becque Meli and Sarah Becque Colpitts, Alexandra and Andrew Hutchins, Peyton Hutchins Pike, Tighe Hutchins Brown, Duncan and Jack Hutchins, and Codi, Abigail, Cameron, and Courtney Quirk; step granddaughter, Kelly Bransfield; her great grandchildren, Maverick Colpitts, Collin Callaghan, Miller and Nellie Pike; and her sister, Peggy Hupfeldt of Sanibel, Fla.
A celebration of life will be held at Mariners Bethel Church in Ocean View, Del. at a later date.
In lieu of flowers please donate to the Mariners Bethel UMC Youth and Kids Ministries of Mariners Bethel Church in Ocean View, Del. Contact Christine Wilson, Director of Youth and Family Ministries, with further questions.
Online condolences can be made at, www.melsonfuneralservices.com