Beryl Hutchison
December 30, 1923 — December 28, 2012
Beryl Hutchison
HUTCHISON, Beryl Marie (nee Schooley)
After spending a joyous Christmas surrounded by her children and grandchildren, Beryl Marie Hutchison (nee Schooley) passed away peacefully on Friday morning, just two days before her 89th birthday. She was predeceased by her husband, Harry, in 2007 and by her son Scott in 2006. She is survived by four children, Heather Hutchison (and Dr. Tomas Pauk), Dr. Sandra Hutchison (and Dr. Richard Hollinger), Wendy Hutchison (and Robert Peart), and Dr. Cameron Hutchison (and Dr. Carol Okamoto); and by seven grandchildren, Andrew, Emily, Matthew, Shira, Kenji, Maya, and Naomi. She was also predeceased by three of her siblings, Madeline Mitchell of Dearborn, Michigan, Clendon Schooley of Woodstock, and Meryl Schooley, also of Woodstock. She is survived by her brother Monte Schooley of Essex County and by her many nieces and nephews of whom she was so fond.
Born into a large and loving farm family whose ancestors settled in Southwestern Ontario, Beryl was the second child of Beatrice Victoria Goring and Clarence Ignatius Schooley of Curries, Ontario, where she attended the local school and where, as a member of the Canadian Girls in Training, she learned many of the arts in which she was so expert later in life, such as sewing and cooking. At Woodstock High School, Beryl distinguished herself in academics, especially geometry, and in sports. After a year at London Teacher's College, Beryl decided to pursue a B.A. in psychology at the University of Western Ontario, which she completed while working part-time at the London Psychiatric Hospital with the mentally ill. She remembers decorating the ward at Christmas and visiting with those who had no visitors.
After completing her B.A., Beryl went west, to Saskatchewan, where she worked for a traveling clinic assessing and evaluating children in rural areas. After a year in Saskatchewan, she returned east to work at Hamilton Hospital, where she gained much valuable clinical experience, before pursuing a Master's degree in psychology at the University of Toronto. There she met her husband, fellow graduate student in psychology, Harry Clinch Hutchison. Before the end of their first year of study, they were married in Hart House chapel at the University of Toronto. While Harry went on to complete a Ph.D., Beryl raised five children, three girls and two boys, who were the joy of her life. She described her years at home with them as "golden years" of happiness and fulfillment. Beryl returned to work, taking a job as a school psychologist at the York Board of Education when her youngest son, Cameron, was in kindergarten, always coming home at lunch to be with her children. In her 20 years of work at the Board, Beryl helped many children, influencing their lives with her careful diagnoses and wise recommendations, always aware of the importance of her decisions to the children she evaluated.
Beryl retired from the York Board after twenty years of service in order to spend time with her husband, also retired, and with their son, Scott, who was pursuing studies. After her retirement, she began work on a Ph.D. in Psychology at OISE, the University of Toronto, researching a dissertation on cross-cultural studies.
In her early 80's, she became an independent stock broker, investing for her children and grandchildren, and following world financial news avidly. Her lifelong love of learning was reflected in her passion for current events and her vibrant interest in new research in physics, astronomy as well as medicine. She encouraged her children to pursue excellence in their chosen professions and often reviewed the literary publications of her daughter, Sandra, and the legal publications of her son, Cameron, who teach at the University of Maine and the University of Alberta respectively. She counselled her daughter Heather in her legal advocacy for the disabled and her daughter Wendy in her career as a dedicated and longtime teacher of children at the Froebel School in Mississauga. She was very proud of the academic studies her son Scott completed in a wide array of fields, from law to engineering and the arts.
Beryl's joy in and engagement with her grandchildren, each of whom she treasured, played an important role in shaping their lives. She saw her oldest grandchild, Andrew, graduate from high school this past spring, and was awaiting the graduation of her three other teenage grandchildren, Emily (Grade 12), Matthew (Grade 11), and Shira (Grade 10). She delighted in their accomplishments and took pleasure in their pursuit of music and other arts. She enjoyed listening to Shira play violin and to Emily's piano compositions. The recent arrival of her son Cameron's twin girls, Maya and Naomi, siblings to her special little boy, three year old Kenji, brought her great happiness.
Her inlaws, Tomas, Robert, and Richard, who knew her for more than two decades, loved her as they would a parent and she offered them the same support and love as she gave her children. More recently, Beryl was delighted to get to know Cameron's partner, Carol Okamoto.
Though she lived in Toronto all of her adult life, Beryl never forgot her roots in the land she loved -- the fields and pastures of Oxford County, where she spent her childhood on the family farm. Until the end of her life, she took pleasure in growing flowers and vegetables and working outside, whether mowing the lawn or raking leaves.
Her selfless life will long be remembered by those who knew her. She lived out her final years in a state of grace, touching all she knew and met with her kindness and unfailing thoughtfulness. In her daily life, she practiced the teaching of St. Francis of Assisi as expressed in one of her favourite prayers, "Make me an instrument of Thy peace...." The guidance she offered her children and grandchildren throughout their lives, through careful instruction in their early years and, later on, through frequent telephone calls and visits at the family home which, despite her blindness, was always a paragon of order, will be greatly missed. Her wisdom, her insight, and her loving counsel will also be greatly missed by her children and her grandchildren.
Beryl had a life rich in personal fulfillment as well as in selfless service to others, and her loss will long be felt and deeply mourned by those who love her.
Funeral services will be held on Monday December 31st at 11 AM in the chapel at Ward Funeral Home at 2035 Weston Road (north of Lawrence) in Weston (Toronto). Visitation will take place at 10AM, also in the chapel. Interment will be at Mount Pleasant Cemetery and will be followed by a reception at 1:15 PM at Ward Funeral Home.
As an expression of sympathy, donations may be offered to the CNIB or to the Froebel Education Center in Mississauga. Please visit our book of Memories at www.wardfuneralhome.com
After spending a joyous Christmas surrounded by her children and grandchildren, Beryl Marie Hutchison (nee Schooley) passed away peacefully on Friday morning, just two days before her 89th birthday. She was predeceased by her husband, Harry, in 2007 and by her son Scott in 2006. She is survived by four children, Heather Hutchison (and Dr. Tomas Pauk), Dr. Sandra Hutchison (and Dr. Richard Hollinger), Wendy Hutchison (and Robert Peart), and Dr. Cameron Hutchison (and Dr. Carol Okamoto); and by seven grandchildren, Andrew, Emily, Matthew, Shira, Kenji, Maya, and Naomi. She was also predeceased by three of her siblings, Madeline Mitchell of Dearborn, Michigan, Clendon Schooley of Woodstock, and Meryl Schooley, also of Woodstock. She is survived by her brother Monte Schooley of Essex County and by her many nieces and nephews of whom she was so fond.
Born into a large and loving farm family whose ancestors settled in Southwestern Ontario, Beryl was the second child of Beatrice Victoria Goring and Clarence Ignatius Schooley of Curries, Ontario, where she attended the local school and where, as a member of the Canadian Girls in Training, she learned many of the arts in which she was so expert later in life, such as sewing and cooking. At Woodstock High School, Beryl distinguished herself in academics, especially geometry, and in sports. After a year at London Teacher's College, Beryl decided to pursue a B.A. in psychology at the University of Western Ontario, which she completed while working part-time at the London Psychiatric Hospital with the mentally ill. She remembers decorating the ward at Christmas and visiting with those who had no visitors.
After completing her B.A., Beryl went west, to Saskatchewan, where she worked for a traveling clinic assessing and evaluating children in rural areas. After a year in Saskatchewan, she returned east to work at Hamilton Hospital, where she gained much valuable clinical experience, before pursuing a Master's degree in psychology at the University of Toronto. There she met her husband, fellow graduate student in psychology, Harry Clinch Hutchison. Before the end of their first year of study, they were married in Hart House chapel at the University of Toronto. While Harry went on to complete a Ph.D., Beryl raised five children, three girls and two boys, who were the joy of her life. She described her years at home with them as "golden years" of happiness and fulfillment. Beryl returned to work, taking a job as a school psychologist at the York Board of Education when her youngest son, Cameron, was in kindergarten, always coming home at lunch to be with her children. In her 20 years of work at the Board, Beryl helped many children, influencing their lives with her careful diagnoses and wise recommendations, always aware of the importance of her decisions to the children she evaluated.
Beryl retired from the York Board after twenty years of service in order to spend time with her husband, also retired, and with their son, Scott, who was pursuing studies. After her retirement, she began work on a Ph.D. in Psychology at OISE, the University of Toronto, researching a dissertation on cross-cultural studies.
In her early 80's, she became an independent stock broker, investing for her children and grandchildren, and following world financial news avidly. Her lifelong love of learning was reflected in her passion for current events and her vibrant interest in new research in physics, astronomy as well as medicine. She encouraged her children to pursue excellence in their chosen professions and often reviewed the literary publications of her daughter, Sandra, and the legal publications of her son, Cameron, who teach at the University of Maine and the University of Alberta respectively. She counselled her daughter Heather in her legal advocacy for the disabled and her daughter Wendy in her career as a dedicated and longtime teacher of children at the Froebel School in Mississauga. She was very proud of the academic studies her son Scott completed in a wide array of fields, from law to engineering and the arts.
Beryl's joy in and engagement with her grandchildren, each of whom she treasured, played an important role in shaping their lives. She saw her oldest grandchild, Andrew, graduate from high school this past spring, and was awaiting the graduation of her three other teenage grandchildren, Emily (Grade 12), Matthew (Grade 11), and Shira (Grade 10). She delighted in their accomplishments and took pleasure in their pursuit of music and other arts. She enjoyed listening to Shira play violin and to Emily's piano compositions. The recent arrival of her son Cameron's twin girls, Maya and Naomi, siblings to her special little boy, three year old Kenji, brought her great happiness.
Her inlaws, Tomas, Robert, and Richard, who knew her for more than two decades, loved her as they would a parent and she offered them the same support and love as she gave her children. More recently, Beryl was delighted to get to know Cameron's partner, Carol Okamoto.
Though she lived in Toronto all of her adult life, Beryl never forgot her roots in the land she loved -- the fields and pastures of Oxford County, where she spent her childhood on the family farm. Until the end of her life, she took pleasure in growing flowers and vegetables and working outside, whether mowing the lawn or raking leaves.
Her selfless life will long be remembered by those who knew her. She lived out her final years in a state of grace, touching all she knew and met with her kindness and unfailing thoughtfulness. In her daily life, she practiced the teaching of St. Francis of Assisi as expressed in one of her favourite prayers, "Make me an instrument of Thy peace...." The guidance she offered her children and grandchildren throughout their lives, through careful instruction in their early years and, later on, through frequent telephone calls and visits at the family home which, despite her blindness, was always a paragon of order, will be greatly missed. Her wisdom, her insight, and her loving counsel will also be greatly missed by her children and her grandchildren.
Beryl had a life rich in personal fulfillment as well as in selfless service to others, and her loss will long be felt and deeply mourned by those who love her.
Funeral services will be held on Monday December 31st at 11 AM in the chapel at Ward Funeral Home at 2035 Weston Road (north of Lawrence) in Weston (Toronto). Visitation will take place at 10AM, also in the chapel. Interment will be at Mount Pleasant Cemetery and will be followed by a reception at 1:15 PM at Ward Funeral Home.
As an expression of sympathy, donations may be offered to the CNIB or to the Froebel Education Center in Mississauga. Please visit our book of Memories at www.wardfuneralhome.com
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