Stefonie Hutchinson

Stefonie A. Hutchinson, 88, of Fort Collins died Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008. Stefonie was born to first-generation Polish immigrants Rudolf and Pauline Grabowski on Jan. 17, 1920, in a sod house on a homestead near Richey, Mont. After graduating from Richey High School, she became a bookkeeper for the McKesson-Robbins Drug Store chain in Billings, Mont. In Sept. 1939, she married Paul Hutchinson of Billings. In 1946, after Paul had served as a pilot in World War II, they settled in Fort Collins. Their long life of building a family together lasted until Paul's death in 2002. Stefonie approached life with tremendous enthusiasm and zest. She relished challenges, and applied her keen intelligence and pioneering spirit throughout her life. Even before her marriage, she quickly mastered McKesson-Robbins' then state-of-the-art system of mechanical bookkeeping machines and became a department head-unusual for a woman in those years. In the early 1950s, Stefonie was very active in the Fort Collins Toastmistresses at that time, the female-only branch of Toastmasters International. Stefonie also pioneered as a woman in what was then nearly an all-male profession when she became a licensed Realtor for the Moore Realty in Fort Collins. Her successes in real estate continued through the 1970s, when she was associated with Loveland's Country Club Estates. Stefonie shared her husband's zeal for community service, and was very active for decades in the Fort Collins Lions Club. Paul served as Lion's president in 1981, and Stefonie is still carried as an Honorary Spouse Member. One of Stefonie's greatest passions was bridge. She became a champion bridge player, and once competed in a national tournament with the famous Charles H. Goren, world champion bridge player and best selling author. Stefonie crowned her successes with a Life Master Certificate from the American Contract Bridge League. She has left her descendents a closet full of bridge trophies. Even in her retirement years, Stefonie was an entrepreneur. She launched a resume business from her home, and specialized in creating resumes for Colorado State University graduates. Throughout her life, Stefonie balanced her many interests and careers well, and was a loving mother, homemaker, and a superb cook. Survivors include her son, Doug Hutchinson, mayor of Fort Collins, and his wife Cathy; her twin daughters, Carmen Crowley and her husband Bill of Monument, and Carol Stokes and her husband Lowell of North Ogden, Utah. Stefonie has five grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 2000 Stover in Fort Collins. Memorial contributions may be made to the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank in care of Bohlender Funeral Chapel, 121 W. Olive, Fort Collins, CO 80524. Friends may send condolences to the family at bohlenderfuneralchapel.com.