Henry Stephen (Steve) Hutcherson, 80, of Henderson County, NC, passed away peacefully on August 31, 2025, after a courageous battle with cancer.
Born on June 2, 1945, in Rockingham County, NC, he was the son of the late Margaret Moorefield Hutcherson and Marvin Reid Hutcherson. Steve was preceded in death by his beautiful and beloved wife, Brenda Lockman Hutcherson, who passed away on July 1st, just two months prior to his death. He was also preceded in death by his sisters, Carol Hutcherson Stafford and Cindy Lea Hutcherson.
Steve is survived by his brother, James Reid Hutcherson (Myrtle), daughter, Stephanie Hutcherson Orr (Steve), his son, Matthew Lowell Hutcherson (Ann), and three cherished grandchildren, Brenna Kathryn Orr, Sarah Wainwright Orr, and Margaret Rose Hutcherson.
A 1963 graduate of Stoneville High School, he was captain of the football team and also excelled in baseball and basketball. Later that year, he entered the U.S. Air Force, serving on active duty from 1963 to 1967 and in the reserves through 1969. From 1965–1966, he was stationed at Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Vietnam as an Intelligence Analyst at the Headquarters of the U.S. Seventh Air Force, the central command for American air operations. For his meritorious service, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and selected as Seventh Air Force Airman of the Month in May 1966. His other decorations included the Vietnam Service Medal with two campaign stars, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Air Force Good Conduct Medal, and the Southeast Asia Expeditionary Medal. Among his fondest memories from his tour was teaching English to Vietnamese students.
Following his service, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1971, later completing graduate coursework for an MBA between 1976–1977.
His career in the textile industry spanned more than five decades. He worked in North Carolina and New York City before founding Hutcherson Sales and Marketing in 1988. Over the years, he held leadership roles in manufacturing, research and development, operations, and sales and marketing. An innovator in his field, he successfully filed two patents and served on the N.C. Textile Technology Advisory Board from 2015–2018. He later founded Beacon Linens, where he pioneered anti-microbial technology for hospital bed sheets, retiring as CEO. The friendships and cross-cultural connections he created during his career were what he valued most, and he fostered these relationships through his extensive travel to over 30 countries.
Beyond his professional achievements, he found joy in service and adventure. He was a faithful member of his church, St. John in the Wilderness, where he ushered and drove the cart, and he loved spending time with his grandchildren, playing golf, cooking, and vacationing at the Carolina coast. His face was often seen smiling and cheering for his granddaughters and their friends at Pat’s School of Dance and at Hendersonville High School football games. At 60 years old, he hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, and at 65, he celebrated his birthday by skydiving. Traveling abroad to be with his son’s family, especially his precious granddaughter, was something he was always excited to do and he delighted in reminiscing about visits to their Foreign Service postings around the world.
On September 6, 1969, Steve married the love of his life, Brenda Hutcherson, with whom he shared 56 devoted years of marriage. Their ardent love for each other has been an inspiration, a strength and a blessing to countless family members and friends. Above all, Steve’s greatest accomplishment was the loving care he gave to Brenda through her long journey with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. His devotion to her and his family was the foundation of his life. It is comforting to know they are reunited with each other in the house of our Father in heaven.
He will be remembered for his generosity, wisdom, and adventurous spirit, his open mind and deep appreciation of other cultures, his service to country and contributions to industry, and most of all, for the steadfast love he gave to his family and friends.
A joint Celebration of Life will be held for Brenda and Steve Hutcherson at St. John in the Wilderness Episcopal church in Flat Rock, NC on November 7th at 3:00 in the afternoon.
Condolences may be sent to the Hutcherson family at www.jacksonfuneralservice.com or C/O Jackson Funeral Service 1101 Greenville Hwy Hendersonville, NC 28792. Please include the name of the deceased on the condolence.