WESTMINSTER, Vt. – Oliver William Hutchison, of Brattleboro and Westminster West, Vt., died unexpectedly on Aug. 30, 2023, shortly after his 21st birthday.
The beloved son of Lucy Burdo Hutchison and Charlie Hutchison, he was born on June 12, 2002, in Boston, and grew up in Jamaica Plain and Lexington, Mass., before moving to Vermont in his early teens.
He attended elementary School in Lexington, Mass., Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, followed by Compass School in Westminster, Vt., and briefly Brattleboro Union High School. He made good friends in all of these places.
In 2018, Oliver became sick from the combination of Lyme disease and black mold poisoning. Over the next 5 years, he spent much of his time bedridden. He fought tenaciously for his health, researching and implementing every western and complimentary modality he and his parents could find.
Oliver was a talented musician who played piano and guitar, composed his own songs, and loved to sing. He was inspired by the guitar skills of John Mayer. While at BFUHS, he enjoyed chorus, Madrigals, and sang with the Shoulder Narrows a cappella group.
With his innate curiosity, he quickly deciphered how to access the secret cash drawer at the old general store at his Westminster West home and, on his own initiative, later converted his road bicycle into an electric one even while he was sick.
Oliver was intensely engaged with science and math, and was an all around athlete from the moment he could crawl. He especially loved hockey, as well as hip hop dancing, basketball, and baseball (pitcher), as well as karate and yoga.
Oliver’s innate love and empathy for humanity and for all those he encountered was enormous. He wanted all to be free from suffering. To that end, he was passionate about social justice, and was especially interested in inventing innovative technologies to create healthy green buildings with clean air so others need not suffer the harmful effects of mold contamination.
He was a healer by nature, and learned many naturopathic healing modalities which he implemented for his own healthcare. He held an enormous love and compassion for animals, and always advocated for them.
Oliver was a bright light and huge heart to all who knew him in his brief time with us.
In addition to his parents, Oliver is survived by loving aunts, uncles, and cousins in the U.S., England, and Scotland.
A memorial service will be held at on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 2 p.m. at the Dummerston Center Congregational Church in Dummerston, Vt., followed by a reception and Celebration of his Life with food and singing across the street at the nearby Grange Hall. A private burial will be held at a future date.
Anyone wishing to remember Oliver is encouraged to support the Windham County Humane Society.