Stuart N. Hutchison, III

Stuart Nye (Buzz) Hutchison, III

July 6, 1943-Sept 25, 2021. 

“Buzz,” as he was known to almost everyone, died on Sept 25 at age 78. His beloved wife, Mary Lou, was at his bedside.

Born to Alberta (McClure) and Stuart Nye Hutchison, Jr., Buzz grew up in Dorseyville and attended Dorseyville school before graduating from Shadyside Academy in 1961. He attended Lafayette College, and remained very active as an alumnus of the place he held so dear. He and several of his Theta Delta Chi fraternity brothers continued to meet every few years, last convening in Las Vegas in 2019. He spoke often about his student years, various shenanigans, and how much he loved booking musical acts for College events and parties. He took great pride in having the foresight to book the Temptations just before their career skyrocketed.  

After graduating from Duke Law School in 1968, Buzz returned to Pittsburgh and spent the rest of his life in the city that he loved so much, ultimately becoming a partner in the firm then known as Kirkpatrick, Lockhart, Johnson and Hutchison and now as K&L Gates, where he remained “of counsel” until his death.

He was a 50-year member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and over the years, Buzz served on various committees of the ABA and Allegheny County Bar Associations including service as a member of the Council of the ACBA Probate and Trust Law Section. He was a former member of the Council’s liaison committee with the Internal Revenue Service Estate and Gift Tax Examiners.

In his work as an estate attorney, he was highly regarded for his expertise, but most important he was a kind, compassionate and steadying force for families as they had to say goodbye to loved ones.

He served in many capacities at his beloved East Liberty Presbyterian Church (where his grandfather was pastor for 25 years) including as chairman of the board having oversight for the endowment funds of ELPC. He also served on the board of Homewood cemetery.

Buzz was a world traveler and loved to fish. He visited five continents over the years, and enjoyed battling big fish from Argentina all the way to Alaska. He also enjoyed golf, was an avid reader, and could (more than) occasionally be found at a low stakes blackjack table somewhere in the world. Given his family history of involvement in the Church, Buzz slyly enjoyed becoming an internet minister of The Universal Life Church so he could fulfill a request from dear friends and their daughter to officiate her wedding, a moment he held dear.

Buzz’s favorite place combined natural beauty, great fishing, and what he loved the most, camaraderie. The Yankanuck Fishing Club is situated on a small island on the Georgian Bay in Ontario, Canada, and Buzz spent part of nearly every summer there from 1951 on. Like Buzz, Yankanuck defies description -- but strong drink, great fishing (primarily for small-mouth bass), and most importantly lots of singing define the place best, perhaps, and Buzz was the unquestioned ringleader. He knew the words and tunes to hundreds of ditties and songs both sacred and profane, and was known to burst into one of them at any given moment. His enthusiasm and absolute disregard for what anyone might be thinking was his guiding light and those that knew him couldn’t help but to be caught up in his joy and delight. He could be found perched in the perfect spot to watch the sunset from the “cocktail porch” while regaling others with stories, or at the head of the long dinner table warmly rewarding kids or other newcomers to the island for their first big fish, passing along the love for the place to anyone lucky enough to share some time on the island with him. He served in many capacities in club leadership over the years, and his impact on Yankanuck and the “family” there is immeasurable. 

That Buzz was able to embrace a joyful, song-filled life was inspiring to those who knew him and some of the hardships he endured in his life. He had three beloved sons he was devoted to, but the loss of his oldest son David to leukemia in 1980 was heartbreaking for him. That was closely followed by death of his younger brother, Bob, to ALS.  Buzz often had to forgo his own sadness as the person on whom his family depended to caretake and plan and his steadiness and authority in such situations was a blessing.

The second half of Buzz’s life found him as part of a new and expanded family. He and Mary Lou were married in 1995, and they were a perfect match for each other. Mary Lou’s two children, Paul and Amy, were teenagers when Buzz came into their lives, but the bond was immediate and lasting. Nothing made him happier than watching them grow up, get married and have kids of their own. Buzz and Mary Lou’s house was constantly filled with various iterations of the family. He loved his “grandbabies” and celebrated them and all of their accomplishments enthusiastically.

Buzz was also a fan of the theatre, though he may have had little choice in the matter, as both of his sons pursued lives as professional actors. While Buzz knew the hardships and difficulties such a career choice portended and worried on behalf of his boys, he never wavered in his encouragement and total support for his sons’ pursuits. He was rewarded by the successes of them both, and was thrilled whenever heading to NYC to watch Brian perform on Broadway or traveling frequently to visit his grandsons Mack and Noble in Houston to watch Chris and daughter-in-law Elizabeth onstage at the Alley Theatre.

When people who knew him best think of Buzz, they think of his booming laugh, or in the midst of leading a cheer for a beaming boy or girl standing next to him as he celebrated their first big fish.

Buzz is survived by his wife of 26 years, Mary Lou Hutchison; two sons, Chris (Elizabeth), of Houston, TX and Brian (Ron), of NY, NY, a Stepson Paul Brauer (Brandy) of Pittsburgh, a Stepdaughter Amy Pasquarelli (Carmen) of Pittsburgh and Grandkids Mack and Noble, Olivia and Max, and Ben and Samantha, as well as his sister Barbara Bruce of Johnstown, PA.

Friends are welcome Wednesday from 7-9pm, and Thursday from 2-4 and 7-9pm at John A.  Freyvogel Sons, Inc., 4900 Centre Avenue at Devonshire Street.  A Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, October 1 at East Liberty Presbyterian Church at 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15206. The Funeral Service may also be viewed via livestream at the East Liberty Presbyterian Church website: https://cathedralofhope.org/. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to The Nature Conservancy of Pennsylvania at Nature.org.

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