Elizabeth Dennis Hutchins

Elizabeth (Dennis) Hutchins, 90, of Columbia, widow of Carlton W. Hutchins, died Saturday, June 5, 2004 at the Windham Hospital. She was born May 5, 1914 in Cliffside Park, NJ, the daughter of Edward Leroy and Elizabeth Wilson Dennis. Her family moved to Scotland, CT where Elizabeth attended grammar school and received her secondary education at Windham High School. Elizabeth attended the University of Connecticut where she earned her B.A. and did her postgraduate work at Hartford College of Law, now UConn, earning her Bachelor of Laws Degree, having been the first fulltime female law student there. She was admitted to the Bar in 1939. She began her career as an associate in the firm of her father, Judge Edward Leroy Dennis in Scotland from 1939 to 1946, opened a practice in Columbia in 1946 and was a trial justice in Columbia from 1953 to 1961. She served as Town Counsel in Columbia from 1966 to 1968 and practiced law until 3 years before her death. Elizabeth, known to her friends as Bette, married Columbia born Carlton Winslow Hutchins on September 21, 1940. He passed away on November 19, 1990. Bette and Carlton had a daughter, Sally Anne Maag, who now resides in California, and a son, Lawrence, who lives in Westport. She is also survived by 2 grandchildren, Richard Cameron Hutchins and Elizabeth Margaret Dwelle as well as 4 great grandchildren. Bette managed to do it all. She may have been an attorney but was also active as a Den Mother in Cub Scouts and other activities of her children. She was active in politics, serving on the Republican Town Committee, has been a member of the Connecticut Bar since 1939, a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, a Realtor, a charter member of the Columbia Historical Society, Order of the Eastern Star, a charter member of the Willimantic chapter of the women's Soroptimist International of the Americas, a Justice of the Peace, the Girl Scouts of America and a trustee of the Saxton B. Little Free Library. Bette was recognized in the 1970-71 issue of Who's Who in American Women and was still involved in area real estate. She was a member of the Christian Life Assembly and actively supported the Windham Christian Academy, to whom memorial gifts in her name may be given at 143 Windham Rd., Willimantic, CT 06226. Her family will receive friends at the Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson St., Willimantic on Wednesday from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be Thursday at 11:00 a.m. at the Christian Life Assembly, 143 Windham Rd. Willimantic. Burial will follow in Center Cemetery, Columbia. Please visit www.potterfh.com for directions and online memorial guestbook.