John Balch Hutt,100 years old, passed away on October 29, 2016 at Mansfield Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Storrs. He was a long-time resident of Coventry and a descendant of John Balch, who sailed from England and founded Beverly, Massachusetts in 1636. Born on July 8, 1916 in Hartford, he was the son of the late Herbert S. Hutt and Dorothy Finnegan Hutt. He was raised in Manchester and was a graduate of Manchester High School, class of 1934. At the depth of the Depression, he pieced together odd jobs around town and helped his parents build a stone house on South Road in Bolton. Then he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to work on projects out West. In 1939 he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served two four-year terms. During World War II he was stationed in American Samoa and on the U.S.S. Salerno aircraft carrier. Arriving in New York in 1947, he was honorably discharged as a Staff Sergeant. Using training obtained in the Marines, he was hired by Pratt & Whitney Aircraft where he spent his career working as an electrician for 37 years. On July 2, 1949 he married Clara Arlene Smith at Second Congregational Church in Coventry. John retired in 1981 and devoted himself to hobby farming, beekeeping, volunteer work at the Nathan Hale Homestead, and part-time work as an interpreter at Old Sturbridge Village. He loved history and greeted thousands of visitors to the Bank, Law Office and Herb Gardens. Around 2000 he began to take courses at Quinebaug Valley Community College and graduated with an Associate degree in General Studies in 2011. For 20 years, John and Clara were costumed participants at the Boar’s Head Festival at the Asylum Hill Congregational Church of Hartford where they worshipped. John was a Mason for 72 years and served as Historian and Marshal for Uriel Lodge No. 24 in Mansfield. He leaves his wife of 67 years, Clara Smith Hutt of Coventry, his daughter Priscilla Hutt Williams of Townsend, Massachusetts, and his son Bruce Charles Hutt of Coventry. He was predeceased by his sister, Lylian Hutt deLeon, and nephew, Edward W. deLeon, Jr. John is also survived by a great-niece, Brenda deLeon, a great-nephew, Richard deLeon, both of Santa Maria, California, and numerous great-great nieces and great-great nephews. A Graveside Service will be held on Saturday, November 5, 2016 at 11 am at East Cemetery, Manchester. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, November 5 at 1:30 pm in the Chapel at Asylum Hill Congregational Church in Hartford. Memorial donations may be made to Joshua’s Tract Conservation and Historic Trust, P.O. Box 4, Mansfield Center, CT 06250.

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