Patricia Ruth Johnson Hutchens

Patricia Ruth Johnson Hutchens, beloved daughter, sister, wife, teacher, mother, friend, neighbor, godmother, and grandmother passed away in her sleep on July 25, 2024, at Brookdale Assisted Living in Nashville, Tennessee. She died of natural causes at the age of 89.

Pat’s passion for her faith, nature and the arts was beautifully curated throughout a lifetime of dedication to her family, church, and community. The poem that adorned her hearth symbolized the optimism, compassion, and joy that adorned her heart,“…Let me live by the side of the road and be a friend to man.”

Pat is preceded in death by her parents, Dewey Johnson and Mabel Archibald Johnson of Pampa, Texas, brothers George and Virgil Johnson, and sister Lorraine Johnson Renck and many nieces and nephews.

She is survived by her three sons: Jay Hutchens (Susan) of Nashville, TN; David Hutchens (Robbie) of Smyrna, TN; and Johnny Hutchens (Jodie) of Atlanta, GA. Pat is also survived by four grandchildren: Will Hutchens of Atlanta, GA, Emory Hutchens of Smyrna, TN, Oliver Hutchens of Atlanta, GA, and Neeley Hutchens of Nashville, TN.

A visitation and memorial service will be held at Woodmont Christian Church in Nashville, Tennessee on August 3, 2024. Visitation will be from 9:00AM until 9:45AM. The memorial will follow at 10AM.

Pat Hutchens was born in Chillicothe, Texas on January 12, 1935. She remembers meeting her future husband in grade school. She watched John Tolbert Hutchens play the role of a wise man in the school Christmas pageant, and she was smitten. Pat graduated from Pampa High school in 1952.

She received a full academic scholarship from Texas Tech University, where she served as President of Gamma Phi Beta sorority. She graduated with a degree in English in 1957.

After graduation, John and Pat were married June 8, 1957 at the First Baptist Church in Pampa, Texas. They moved to Houston, where they deepened their lifelong friendship with Jess and Annette Williams. The two families vacationed together and visited each other often. John and Pat ultimately became godparents to their four children.

In 1960 they transferred to Metairie, Louisiana, just outside of New Orleans, where they resided for more than 50 years. Pat became deeply active in her community. Before becoming a full-time mother to her three sons, she taught English at Clifton L. Ganus Christian School. She took on leadership roles in the Parent Teacher Organization at her childrens’ schools. She  remained an active and loyal member of the Metairie Garden Club, earning multiple awards for her flower arranging skills. It was not uncommon for her floral arrangements to be displayed at the New Orleans Museum of Art. She also helped to establish a new chapter of Gamma Phi Beta at Loyola University in New Orleans.

She also built and maintained a remarkable network of steadfast friends in her neighborhood that rivaled none.

Pat took great pride in dedicating herself to the Hickory Knoll Church of Christ and its families. For a long time she taught the Bible to third-graders in Sunday School. Today, many attribute their adult faith journeys to the gentle Bible instruction they received from “Mrs. Pat.” Her heartfelt faith and creativity, and was demonstrated in the care she put in Vacation Bible School crafts and teaching aids. Her artistry and generosity was showcased in the fresh flower arrangements she crafted for weekly services, weddings, and showers.

However, she Pat will be most remembered for her love and loyalty to her husband, John, and to her sons Jay, David, and Johnny Hutchens.

Arrangements in the care of Compassion Funeral & Cremation Services, Nashville, TN (615) 857-9955. We proudly remain locally owned & operated.