Mary Prudence "Prue' Bennett Hutton
Mary Prudence "Prue" Bennett Hutton, former member
and president of the Kansas Board of Regents and former Wichita State
University student, died Wednesday (March 17, 2010) at Spring Valley Hospital
near her home in Las Vegas.
She was married to John A. Hutton for 60 years.
Prue, as regent, is remembered as instrumental in the
development of the Wichita branch of the KU Medical Center. She was the 1979
recipient of Wichita State University's Achievement Award. This award is the
highest honor given to a Wichita State alumnus or alumna by the WSU Alumni
Association. Prue served on the Kansas Committee of the Humanities.
Prue was born on Sept. 26, 1927, in Marysville to Judge and
Mrs. Edgar C. Bennett. Her father and grandfather were the first father-and-son
state senator and state representative serving in the Kansas Legislature at the
same time.
Prue attended Christian College (now Columbia College) in
Missouri and graduated from Kansas State University in 1948, where she then
taught and did graduate work. Later, she taught at Bethel College in North
Newton.
It was her wish that, in lieu of flowers, contributions be
sent to Bethel College to the Bethel College Tom Hutton Fund in memory of their
youngest, who passed away on Oct. 9, 1965.
The Hutton family lived in Newton for 34 years.
Their eldest, Mary Prudence Hutton Fitzpatrick, lives in
Fresno and San Francisco, Calif., with husband Dan Fitzpatrick and is an
attorney. They have two children; Danny, UC Berkeley "05, is soon to
graduate from the School of Law of the University of San Francisco; Prue,
University of Virginia "08, is employed by U.S. Senator Begich (Alaska) in
Washington, D.C. Prue and John have twin sons, Andrew W. and Mark B., who
practice law in Wichita.
Andrew is married to the former Paula Neugent. They have
four children. Patrice, Johns Hopkins University "08, heads the Writers in
Baltimore Schools organization. Tara, who attends Butler University, is in
Indianapolis. Adeli and Colin are in grade school and middle school.
Mark B. Hutton is married to the former Susan Dody, formerly
of Newton. They have four children. Tom Hutton, Georgetown University "09,
is an investment banker in Washington, D.C. William, Francesca and Isabella
attend high school.
Prue and John had just celebrated their 60th wedding
anniversary.
The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, at the Petersen
Family Funeral Home, 215 North main in Newton.
Visitation will be Friday from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Petersen
Funeral Home in Newton. Visit www.legacy.com/obituaries.asp.
