Obituary of Ronald Porter Hutchinson
It is with great sadness that our family announces the passing of a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, and brother- Ron Hutchinson. He passed away on February 2nd in Piscataway, New Jersey. He was 67.
Ron was well-known as a film historian with unrivaled expertise on the transition to sound. As co-founder and director of The Vitaphone Project, he partnered with UCLA Film & Television Archive, Warner Brothers, the Library of Congress and private collectors to help restore dozens of shorts and feature films, most unseen since their original release. Ron’s unique knowledge has been sourced in over 25 books as well as documentaries for PBS and Turner Classic Movies. He presented completed restoration work nationwide at New York’s Film Forum, Museum of Modern Art, and TCM Film Festival in Hollywood. His expertise can be heard, alongside friend and bandleader, Vince Giordano, on the “The Jazz Singer” DVD box set commentary. In 2014, he was awarded the National Society of Film Critics “Film Heritage Honor” for his work in film preservation and discoveries.
In his professional career, as well as a board member of both the Association of NJ Recyclers and public transit initiative, Keep Middlesex Moving, Ron worked to promote safety and environmentalism. He was awarded the REX (Recycling Excellence) Award among many other accolades.
He is survived by his wife Judy; children Heather and Jared; grandchild Logan and a second grandchild due in May; brother Robert; and daughter and son-in-law Lyubov and Jason.
His love, humor, and support will be missed by many.
A memorial service is planned for Saturday, February 9th from 1-4 pm at the Piscataway Funeral Home in Piscataway NJ.