Dr. Margaret Fortune Hutson
Dr. Margaret Fortune Hutson, 78, of Emory, Va., passed away on Wednesday, June 7, 2017.
Margaret was born August 14, 1938, in Chattanooga to the late Thelma Fortune and William Thurman Hutson, Sr. Margaret was also preceded in death by her oldest brother, William Thurman Hutson, Jr., and grandparents, Thomas Milton and Mary Burrow Hutson and George Dean and Margaret Williams Fortune. Margaret is survived by brothers, Tom Hutson (Shirley) of Nashville, Tenn. and Dean Hutson (Mary) of Signal Mountain, Tenn.; nieces, Martha Hutson Bowden (Rusty) of Nashville, Tenn., Sarah Hutson Iricks (Brian) of Gimli, Manitoba, Elizabeth Hutson Westerman (Ned) of Smyrna, Tenn., Holli Hutson and Allison Hutson Gunter (Murray) of Signal Mountain; and nephew, Dan Hutson (Brenda) of Knoxville. Margaret is also survived by seven great nieces, one great-nephew, one great-great-niece, one great-great-nephew and her loyal, four-legged companion, Bonny.
Margaret attended Normal Park School, Missionary Ridge School, Brainerd Jr. High School and graduated from Chattanooga (City) High School in 1956. She attended the University of Chattanooga where she was a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority and received a bachelor’s degree in 1960. Margaret earned a master’s degree from University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1965 and a PhD from the University of Mississippi in 1981.
Early in her career, Margaret taught at the Grier School for Girls and Shippensburg State Teacher’s College, both in Pennsylvania, as well as at Brown Middle School. In the fall of 1970, Margaret began teaching in the Physical Education Department at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where she coached the Lady Vols basketball team. Margaret, who had never played high school or college basketball, attended clinics to become more familiar with the game. At that time, all players were walk-ons; no scholarships were offered; and they played at the state and regional levels, as there was no NCAA or SEC women’s basketball. In her third year of coaching, the team won the state title. In her fourth and final year as coach, the team was 25-2. In her last two seasons, her teams ended up playing in the east region playoffs, missing the Final Four by one game. By the end of Margaret's fourth year as coach, her winning percentage of 76 percentage was the best of any coach, dating back to when the program had started in 1902. When Margaret resigned from coaching in 1974 to pursue her PhD, Pat Summitt, who had already accepted a position as her graduate assistant, was asked to replace Margaret as head coach, taking the Lady Vols on to levels of success unheard of in women’s or men’s basketball.
In 1977, Margaret began her career at Emory & Henry College in Emory, Va., as a professor in the Health and Physical Education Department, which she chaired for eleven years. During her 27 year tenure, Margaret, who served as the college’s athletic trainer, established a nationally certified Athletic Training Education Program at Emory & Henry, one of only seven such programs in the United States. Margaret also coached the Emory & Henry women’s volleyball team for 16 years. Her teams had 13 winning seasons, eight seasons with 20 or more wins, one season with 30 wins and played for three ODAC conference titles. Affectionately called "Doc" by many, Margaret was instrumental in guiding and directing an untold number of students into fields for which they were best suited. At annual homecoming games and school events, she was frequently approached by former students, thanking her for having such a positive influence in their career choices. To honor her contributions to academics and to her students, Margaret received the United Methodist Exemplary Teaching Award in 2001. In 2006 she received the Fanelli Award for her contributions to Emory & Henry women’s athletics. Upon her retirement in 2004, Emory & Henry awarded her with Faculty Emeritus status and in 2011 Margaret was inducted into the Emory & Henry Sports Hall of Fame.
Margaret was an active member of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Abingdon, Va. where she served on the vestry as senior warden, altar guild, and other numerous committees. An active member of the Abingdon Rotary Club, Margaret was named a Paul Harris Fellow for her community service. She volunteered for the Virginia Highlands Festival, participated in the College Community Club, and was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Margaret was an avid golfer and enjoyed her membership in the Holston Hills Country Club.
Margaret's keen sense of humor and devilish laugh will be remembered by all who knew her. She loved to pull a prank and unsuspecting victims were often fooled. Walks on the Emory & Henry campus with her dog were her favorite times of the day. Margaret was a devoted daughter, sister, aunt, colleague, teacher, and friend. She will be greatly missed.
The family wishes to express its deep gratitude to the staffs of English Meadows Memory Care and NHC Healthcare as well as to her many faithful friends who visited and cared for her. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 8, 2017, at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Abingdon, Va., with interment at the Holston Conference Cemetery in Emory, Va. Immediately following the interment, the family will receive friends at the King Athletic Center on the Emory & Henry College campus. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Emory & Henry College, Emory, Va. 24327; Ecumenical Faith in Action, 798 Hillman Highway NE, Abingdon, Va. 24210; St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 124 East Main St., Abingdon, Va. 24210; or The Pat Summitt Foundation, 520 West Summitt Hill Drive, Knoxville, Tenn. 37902.
Those wishing to express sympathy online may do so by visiting www.farrisfuneralservice.com and signing the online guestbook. The family of Dr. Margaret Fortune Hutson is being cared for by Farris Funeral Service and Crematory, 427 E. Main St., Abingdon, Va. 24210 (276-623-2700).