Obituary of Helene Hutchins

“Lived life fully – sometimes failed, sometimes faltered, often succeeded.” Helene Elinor Houston, the granddaughter of Samuel and Carrie Houston of Houston, Texas and Henry and Maggie Freeman of El Paso, Texas was born to Samuel Houston and Clara Freeman Houston in El Paso, Texas on August 24, 1943. She was raised with three sisters, Irma, Samella, and Leona by her parents until 1955 when her mother passed away of breast cancer in California. After that time, Helene was raised by her father’s sisters, Bernette Houston Ross in Indianapolis, and Thomasine Houston Prater in Houston. Helene completed her education at Seaport Elementary School in Richmond, California, at Schools #42 and #43 in Indianapolis, Indiana, and at Jack Yates Senior High as class Valedictorian in 1961. She was also her class homecoming queen, Miss Jack Yates 1961. She attended Howard University in Washington, D.C., Columbia University in New York, Georgia State University in Atlanta, and finally completed her B.A. Degree in Political Science at Houston Baptist University in Houston, and her M.A. Degree in Political Science at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Helene’s career in human resources management, anti-discrimination investigation and compliance, education, and training, spanned four decades. She was employed on Capitol Hill during the Johnson Administration in the Office of Vice President Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, in the Justice Department in Atlanta, and the Treasury Department in multiple locations. She was also employed with the Houston District Office of the Federal EEOC, with the City of Houston, the Houston Independent School District, the University of Houston, and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. In addition, taught political science, public service administration courses, and Ethics at Le Tourneau University, Texas Southern University, San Jacinto Community College, and online at the University of Phoenix. Helene was married more than once and was the mother of one child, Henry Hutchins, who preceded her in death in 2007. Divorced from Henry’s father, Henry Hutchins, Sr., in 1983, she was raised Henry, Jr., in Houston and Missouri City, Texas, as a single parent. Helene is succeeded in death by her grandson Henry Gordan Hutchins, II, and his mother Tiffany Smith Hutchins, by two stepdaughters, Holana and Tanya Hutchins, her two sisters Samella Floyd of Indianapolis, Indiana and Irma Spearman of Columbia, South Carolina, and their children. Shawn, Stephen, Shannon, Bennie and Tracey and their spouses, children and grandchildren. She includes in her extended family “nieces and sisters” Jennifer Love Evans, Heather Love Shorter, Lurvelma Love, Brenda Barrett Love, Melba Martell, Caterina Charles, Rasheda Davis, Brenda Brown, Carol Harris, and all the Quintinilla family.