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Tim Hutson Foundation

iPod, running, a gallon of water, TimFood, swimming, "BLAH", math, weightlifting, streaking, granola bars...

I have been trying to find the right words to describe Tim for a few weeks now.  I now realize that I did not know Tim nearly as well as I thought I did, but I will always remember the Tim I did know - Tim the swimmer.

I swam with Tim for three years.  Tim was always the most vocal member of the team, a fact I learned on day one of swim season my freshman year.  And then there was always Tim’s Nalgene bottle, which he was determined to shatter: I mean, he had to, it was advertised as ‘unbreakable.’  I never knew Tim to take anything simply on faith.  He always had to test out whatever he was told before he would believe it.

My sophomore year I was in class with Tim for the first time.  That was an experience I’ll never forget.  This was also about the time Tim’s iPod became a permanent extension of himself.  I do not believe that iPod was ever turned off without its batteries dieing.  Tim’s headphones were always either over his ears or around his neck.  At the swim team banquet that year Tim stuffed a whole chicken breast into his mouth, just to make sure he could.

My junior year, Tim and I were again in the same math class.  The first day of Calc BC, Mr. Gress had everyone choose a nickname for themselves.  Tim chose the name, “Lunchbox Timfood.”  I still do not understand the ‘lunchbox’ portion of the name.  Tim only ever carried food in his pockets, or while it was on its way to his mouth, his hands.  And there was always plenty of Timfood.   Last year, Tim also made it onto the varsity swim squad.  I never knew a day to go by without at least one each of Tim’s signature shouts: “Selby!!!!!!!” and “Fight the power!”  You know, one of those window-rattling, ground-shaking, knock-your-socks-off-and-never-question-that-it-was-Tim shouts.  And I know it has already been said before by several people, more eloquently than I could ever phrase it, but I have to bring up one memory again.  Tim’s greatest goal for his entire swimming career was to break one minute in the one hundred yard butterfly.  One of the most disappointing moments I have ever experienced was Tim just missing his goal at the Junior Varsity Conference meet last year.  But Tim was not even fazed by what happened.  He just said he would come in on Monday and do it then.  I had never before, and have never again since, heard someone say they would come back later and try a race again – alone.  Tim showed up Monday afternoon, Aquablade suit and all, entirely reshaved for his new attempt.  Tim warmed up with a few laps while Lea Maurer, our coach, set up a touchpad for him.  When he was ready, Tim stepped up onto the blocks.  Everyone stopped swimming, surrounded his lane on all sides, preparing to cheer Tim onwards.  Those fifty-nine seconds were the loudest, most heartfelt, sincere, and passionate moments I have ever experienced on any pool deck.  I am still convinced that if Tim had missed his minute, he would have come back the next day, and the next, and the next until he finally broke a minute.  His victory would be all the sweeter for his efforts, and would live on as an even greater legend than it already is.  I never knew Tim to give up on anything, whether it was a challenge put forth to him, or just the desire to out-bench Matt Grevers, or finally shattering that “unbreakable” Nalgene bottle.  A few weeks after Tim’s historic swim, it was time for the state swim meet.  We all knew we were going to win, barring a complete disaster.  I thought everyone on the team would want to be a part of the championship.  So I called Tim up the morning of finals, and asked if he wanted a ride down to the meet.  Tim said sure, and we were both on deck at the time of the presentation of the state championship trophy.  And Tim was the most exuberant celebrant in the New Trier pool that day.

These are just some of the memories of Tim that stand out for me, and I hope I never live to forget them.  “Fight the power!”

(Approximate transcript of a speech made at the Acoustic Show 3/12/04)

-Matt Remissong

I remember our junior year for Focus, we all split into groups and went around Lake Forest decorating uptown for Red Ribbon week as Focus does every year.  It was me, Colleen, Ryan, Millichap, Adam, and Tim.  We were running around crazy tiring ribbons to trees and almost anything in site.  We all ended up going in the courtyard area near Burger King and decided to decorate in there.  Tim was extremely hyper that night (but then again, when wasn't he?) and began to jump from bench to bench.  Soon all the guys began do this and then it turned into them all jumping at once in the same direction, colliding in midair (there is a picture in the picture section).  They continued to do this over and over again.  Tim continued to laugh, even though, once they collided, they all fell to the ground.

After our finals junior year one day, we all went down to the beach to hang out and relax before studying for our next day of finals.  Tim of course was running around and decided to strip down to his boxers and jump into the lake.  Soon after, Ryan joined him.  Then proceeded to try and throw each of the girl into the lake (me, Colleen, Caitlin, and Kelly).  After this game became old, Tim soon found himself amused and fascinated by something else on the beach; the little garbage car thing.  Tim began to drive this little car around having a blast.  It seemed that this cart was the coolest thing he had ever seen.  Everything he did he loved and thought it was the best thing in the whole world. 

-Jackie Cavender

I wish I had known Tim better.  Of LFHS' class of 2003 he was definitely one of the most memorable people.  Tim had so much energy and life in him.  He really was an extraordinary person.  Many days, his comments and laughter kept me awake through first period psychology.  He added to other classes like World Civ with Dr. Gantt with his laughter and enthusiasm.  I'll always remember his sense of humor and exuberance.  He was always bouncing off the walls and I will miss him.  The thing that saddens me the most is that I did not know him as well as I could of.  I did not get to have many experiences with this wonderful person.  The last time I saw him was going to see a midnight showing of "American Wedding".  He had so much energy as usual and was a joy to be around.  That night was one of the more memorable nights that summer because Tim added so much to it.   Tim was truly a person worth knowing and he will never be forgotten.  God Bless you Tim- May angels lead you in.

-Caroline Marcotte

For all the times that I had to tell Tim to be quiet during Focus meetings, I never imagined that there would be a time that I would give 
anything to take it all back.  I was extremely envious of his endless energy.  It would be seven o'clock on a Tuesday evening at Ryan Pertz's 
house and he would be bouncing off the walls, laughing, and trying to wrestle Tony.  Note to self: Do not give that boy any more sugar. Despite 
his wild side, Tim was brilliant. He was an amazing athlete and friend. Although I wasn't very close to Tim, we shared so many great times at 
meetings, retreats, and just hanging out with all the guys in someone's basement.  And who could forget the Focus lock-in?  A little over a 
couple of months ago I was able to see him over winter break.  He greeted me with a big bear hug.  He had a soft spot in his heart and I could 
tell that he cared so much for his friends and family.  I will remember Tim for his smile, his energy, and his love.  Tim will always live on in 
the hearts of all of us.  Tim, may your soul rest (or at least be) in peace.
 
-Caroline Ferrari

Back in sophomore year we all had to give a persuasive speech about any random topic for about 5-7 minutes. The topic choices were not entirely "random" of course. You could tell a lot about a person by what they chose to speak about. There were those who explained how Metallica was the greatest band ever in the history of the world, those that described the finer points of applying lipstick, eye shadow, mascara, blush, and how to enhance your pretty, those who spoke on how Nelson Mandela was the greatest political revolutionary and how we should follow his lead, and of course that one kid who spoke about how world peace could be achieved by letting everyone wear corduroy pants. Apart from all these speeches was Tim's. I'll never forget his opening line, "There is a pill that can make you feel happier, lose weight, gain larger muscles, appear more attractive, fight off diseases, and if taken regularly could even add extra years to your life. That pill is called exercise." Tim then proceeded to describe all the benefits of regular exercise to the human body and why we should all adopt a good fitness program. Tim didn't need to explain though, anyone who Tim knew that he was one of the healthiest people around. Tim played perhaps the three most demanding sports a year in high school; cross-country, swimming, and track. The Friday after one season ended Tim would be out there on the Monday with his next sport. He was constantly in the weight room, always working out. He ate the healthiest assortment of food and he ate it frequently. I always laugh at how time and time again Tim would be sitting in Economics munching away at a bowl of cereal, or eating a huge bag of pretzels, or entire box of granola bars, and then downing it all with a liter of water from his Nalgene. The guy was always eating and drinking. He was built like a machine and he had the discipline to match. Tim Hutson was a living example of the benefits of the exercise he spoke of. To meet Tim was to meet a man of dedication and self-discipline.

That self-discipline was in regards to exercise, of course. Tim was always known as a bit of a wild man, a loose cannon, or perhaps a hummingbird on crack. Tim had an unbelievable amount of energy and gleeful foolishness that he loved to display in any situation. From carrying freshman members of the cross country team while running our laps, to pushing people across the classroom on a wheelie chair, to yelling out Limp Bizkit and Disturbed down the hallway, you always knew when Tim was within half a mile of you. Though Tim was quite a character, anything he did was always in good nature and he would never try to hurt anyone, no matter how outlandish his antics may have appeared.

In the more political arena, Tim was always a man of principle. You always knew were Tim stood on any issue, mostly because Tim would yell out statements like, "Let's bomb Afghanistan into a car park!" or "Liberals are idiots!" Behind these incredulous jingoistic remarks, though, was a mind that clearly thought through the issues. I'll never forget Tim at his first and only Debate tournament at the end of senior year. He only made one speech, but what he said was a clear and well thought out argument. What he lacked in knowledge of speech-making he made up for in his use of carefully constructed economic theory and research to bolster his viewpoint. Though brash in delivery, Tim never jumped to conclusions. I'll also not forget how during the awards ceremony Tim placed his tie round his head and preceded to scream, "GO SCOUTS!!! LAKE FOREST!!! GO SCOUTS!!! LAKE FOREST RULES!!!" every time someone won and award, even if they weren't from Lake Forest. That was true Tim style. He went all out no matter what.

On a more personal note, I will always remember the encouraging side of Tim. I joined cross country the last two years of high school and needless to say was the worst runner on the entire team. By the end of both seasons practically every freshman had a better record than me aside from the critically injured. In spite of that, Tim always encouraged me and would yell things like "Way to go Monty!!!" and always be around to give me a high five after the race. I can still remember him yelling "MONTY!!!" down the hall whenever he'd see me, or his own version of my nickname, "MONTIMINATOR!!!" which skillfully combines the elements of Monty, Tim, and The Terminator. I would shout back (though more like a whisper compared to Tim), "MONTIMINATOR TWO!!!" combining Monty, Tim, The Terminator, and the number 2. It was a unique greeting between the two of us that always made me feel better every time he yelled it, even in the middle of a Math lecture, much to the surprise of our teacher. I will never forget Tim Hutson. Here's to you, Montiminator Two! 

-Michael Montgomery

So many memories.....where to start, where to start....

I remember junior year of high school was the year of Math Analysis Honors with good ol' Mr. Hamburg.  One particular day, I arrived early as usual and began chatting with Caroline.  As the class was filling up, Tim jumps into the classroom and into his seat nearby, just before Mr. Hamburg begins telling another one of his jokes...."No, I didn't get my hair cut, I got ALL my hairs cut!"  The class gives their typical sympathy laugh, Tim's distinct infectious laugh sounding out above the others.  Somehow I begin talking with Tim, amidst some story of Mr. Hamburg's.  The Twisted 8 concert is coming up, which we're both going to with our friends, and he asks me which band I most want to see there.  The first band that came to mind was Sum 41, but I said that I didn't know many songs by them.  As he miraculously pulled out a bag of cheez-its from his pant's cargo pocket, he enthusiastically offered, "I'll burn you their CD!"  I was so excited!  Days went by, the amazingly fun concert came and went, but both of us seemed to forget about the CD.  Months and months down the road, it was May 4th, my birthday.  I was having a fantastic day- signs were up with my picture on them, my locker was decorated.... I felt so special!  In between classes, I was in the hallway talking with some people.  Tim shows up and hands me something- a CD with the words "Sum 41" scrawled on it with a black sharpie.  He laughs as he explains that he meant to give it to me for Christmas, but forgot.  At the bottom of the CD I saw the words "Merry X-mas" crossed out, and underneath it written "Happy Birthday".  All I could do was laugh at the simultaneous hilarity and thoughtfulness of Tim!  I grinned from ear to ear and gave him one of his own trademark monster hugs before he headed of to class.  I couldn't believe he had remembered after so long!  I wanted to share this story because I think it sums up what Tim was- his humor, his unexpected thoughtfulness, his uniqueness, and his special place in all our hearts.

-Caitlin Lyman

I have three memories of Tim that stand out. One is of how he would come into the youth room each week for SHYG with a huge smile on his face. He didn't know a ton of people there, but he always had a smile and a good heart.

Second is the only time I've seen the signs of "crazy Tim," which is at the concert at the Youth Room with Dustin's band. They mostly did Metallica and other heavy metal songs, and Tim was moshing like a madman. Since I had only known this quiet, happy kid, I didn't know where this other fella came from! But everyone enjoyed how much Tim was enjoying himself.

The last memory is of Tim at the Senior Banquet, listening to his mom read warm, gushy things about him. And after it was over, she came and he gave her a big hug, still all smiles.

-Syler Thomas

Tim's voice was without a doubt the loudest I have ever heard. When he shouted 'Selby!' on a crowded pool deck during a meet, the windowpanes rattled and heads turned in awe of his expert cheering. At school, whenever I walked into a room, whether it was the cafeteria during lunch or a classroom during a test, I could count on Tim pointing at me, and, with his head cocked to the side and a wry grin on his face, letting loose a massive blast of sound that made my name echo through the building. I am a naturally shy person, and he helped bring me out of my shell.

I have so many stories about Tim, but I think one in particular stands as a testament to his character:  As a swimmer, Tim's favorite stroke was butterfly. Knowing his appetite for challenge, it is not surprising that butterfly is also the hardest of the four strokes. His weight-lifting strength and all-around fitness put him in a position to be a solid competitor in the one hundred yard fly.  All throughout high school, Tim told me that his goal was to break the one-minute barrier in that event, which even for many life-long swimmers is no easy feat. Coming to the end of our senior year season, he had come close to this mark but was counting on his taper to shave the last few seconds off his time. At the JV conference meet, Tim's final meet of the season, we nervously watched the scoreboard to see if he would slip under the mark. Though he was rested, shaved, and wearing a fast 'shark-skin' suit, he was not able to accomplish his goal, missing the mark by mere tenths of a second. However, he was part of several winning relay teams and our team won overall for the first time in years, so he was happy with the day.

Tim's season was over, so naturally we were surprised to see him arrive at practice the next week wearing his sharkskin suit. He told us he would not be satisfied until he had gone under one minute in the hundred fly, and that he wanted another crack at it. Our coach, Lea Maurer, installed the touch pads and the timing system, and the entire team stood around the pool to watch. His stroke looked good from the second he entered the water. After a confident first fifty yards, we knew that he had set himself up to break the barrier. We watched, even more nervous this time, as the numbers flashed on the board at the end of the time trial: 59 seconds.

When the magic number lit up the board, the team went wild. We mobbed Tim with congratulatory words and pats on the back. He had wanted to break the time barrier for himself, to meet his goal, but his success has positive effects on all of us. Though he had scored no real points with his swim, seeing his determination and mental toughness gave the varsity team reserves of confidence and helped assuage our normal end-of-season nervousness. If Tim could make his taper work, then so could we. Two weeks later, we won the state championship in record-setting fashion.

I tell this story because I believe it says several important things about kind of person Tim was. He was a team player. He led by example. He set goals and would not accept failure. He was optimistic. He was dedicated. He was a hard worker.  It saddens me to know that I will never again hear his booming voice shout my name.

Above my desk at college, I have a picture of Tim from one of our team banquets. He has his head tilted back as if he were in the middle of a head-bang, his arms are raised in the air, and his hands are making the double "hang-ten" symbol. It is a typical Tim, rock-star pose: lost in the moment and full of energy. I wonder about the story surrounding that picture. In my mind, I see Tim coming over to me after posing for the picture. He gives me a pat on the back, says a few encouraging words, and finally lets one rip for all of posterity in that amazing voice of his: "Selby!!!"  Everyone turns to look.

-Brendan Selby

Tim will be greatly missed. Even those that weren't very close to him have somehow been touched by him.  What I will remember most about him is his smile, whether it was at the FOCUS meetings we both attended or at the swimming pool, he always seemed to be glowing.  He had energy to him all the time, which anyone wishes they could have.  He was one of those people that was kind to everyone and definitely made the time I spent around him more light-hearted and entertaining. I will miss him and the memories I have shared with him.

-Michelle Brooks

The first time I met Tim was in eighth grade.  We were in Spanish together and for a reason that now escapes me, Tim threw me up against the wall of the classroom and I (accidentally) ended up with a bloody nose.  Ever since then we were friends.

It was Tim who inspired me to run cross-country.  We had Spanish (with Senor Finkelstein) together again our freshman year and sat next to each other.  Everyday I watched him devour no less than ten granola bars and finish off a full Nalgene. I always wondered if I could be as tough as Tim and joined cross-country to prove I could.  And I have no better memories of Tim than during our sophomore year of cross-country.  From our epic (at least it seemed that way at the time) 12 mile run to Highland Park, to our battles on the cross-country course, we became good friends.  We had a great competition between us and I wish I had worked hard enough to see that continue.

Our senior year, we had one of the most memorable cross-country seasons of high school.  From the Schmerer incident (best left unsaid), to our trip to Hooters, we had some great times.  But up until then, I only knew one side of Tim--the one that everyone knows.  Tim asked 200 girls to prom, made that unfortunate trip to Max and Erma's, and did lots of other crazy stuff that I'll always remember him for.  But I know that Tim was much more than that.  Almost every year, Tim had signed up for debate.  Senior year, he finally followed through and came to a tournament.  At the awards ceremony, he was the usual Tim (hugging every person who won an award, Lake Forest or not).  But he took the debating seriously because he cared about it.  He loved to learn and that's one of the qualities I most respect him for.

Another great thing about Tim was that he was never ashamed to be friends with anyone.  At the beginning of the cross-country season, we voted for captains.  I didn't vote for Tim, but I realized after the season that I made a huge mistake.  Yes, Tim did some crazy things, but when it came down to issues of real importance, he was an incredibly responsible and fair-minded person.  He was friends with everyone on the team and never backed away from those friendships when things got tough.

All of these are good memories of Tim, but they don't come anywhere near expressing how much he meant to me.  He brought so much joy to the people who knew him.  My life is infinitely better for knowing him.  Tim was truly unlike any person I've ever known and that's why I miss him so much.

-Jesse Feinberg

Tim asked me to prom junior year.  I knew that he was going to ask me, but I pretended like I didn't know.  I was sitting in math class first period with Mr. Hamburg, who was so boring. Towards the beginning of class, I was already falling asleep, when mar. Hamburg pulled up the overhead screen to reveal a big sign hanging on the black board that said "Barri will you go to prom with me."  I immediately knew who it was from.  Then Mr. Hamburg walked over to my desk with a few flowers to give me.  Of course all of the girls start oooing and ahhhing and "oh that's so sweet!"  I was slightly embarrassed, but I loved it.  Then Tim knocked on the door and came in and asked me again in front of the class and I said "yes."  I still have the sign, and whenever I look at it, it reminds me of that day, and my face turns a little pink

On one of our first dates, we went downtown with colleen and Jon Treasly.  We went out to dinner at a really nice restaurant.  We were surrounded by older people who kept looking at us, wondering what these 4 16 year olds were doing in a restaurant that nice.  Then we went to see the musical "contact."  It was a really good play, but all I could think about was how he was sitting next to me and he wasn't holding my hand!  I was a little insulted, but the next day at school, he left a rose in my locker.

I remember in high school Tim drank tons of water.  He hated refilling that Nalgene a billion times a day, so one day he came in with one of those gallon jugs that you buy at the grocery store.  He just carried that around all day and he only had to refill it twice.

I remember him jumping on people and yelling "BLAH!"

When we first started dating, mars. Hutson wanted to invite me over for dinner.  Tim never really got around to asking me over, so one night I received a phone call from Mrs. Hutson asking me over for dinner.  She told me that she had been telling Tim for weeks to invite me to dinner, and I told her that I never even knew, it must have slipped his mind.

-Barri Levens

I always swam next to Tim in practice, and you could always count on him to do anything other than practice.  He'd always be one to go attack a fellow swimmer with me, Rahn and Charlie.  Or when we all were rocking out to 'Eye of the Tiger' before JV Conference, Tim, along with the older swimmers (go figure) were going absolutely bonkers.

My favorite memory though would have to be the 2-litre bottle of water Tim carried around to class.  Probably the most hydrated person...ever.

"...it's the heart that matters most." Take it easy buddy.

-Colin Kiely

Tim was the only person who you knew he walked into a room without even seeing him.  The loud sound of Linkin Park or MxPx coming from an iPod gave his entrance away.  He loved his iPod so much and he loved the thousands and thousands of songs that he had on it as well.  He never wanted to keep any song to himself; he was convinced that we all HAD to hear everything he ever listened to.  Suddenly from behind you, hands placed headphones on your ears with music so loud that it could cause your ears to bleed.  If you ever wanted to have a conversation with Tim, all you needed to do was say one word, 'music.'  I remember hearing a song that he wanted me to hear by 8 Stops 7.  I told him I really liked it and asked who it was.  I had no idea what I was getting myself into by saying those 3 little words, 'I like this.'  He then went on and on about how amazing this band was and how he had a ton of bands he wanted me to hear.  After about 15 minutes of me nodding my head and smiling as Tim spoke about one of his biggest passions (music), he finally said, 'You know what Jackie, I'm going to make you some cd's.'  And that's exactly what he did.  The next day, Tim handed me 3 cd's of some of his favorite bands.  To this day, whenever I hear a Linkin Park song, one name pops into my head: Tim.

December of our junior year, me, Tim, Caitlin, Colleen, Sakk, and Ryan all went to the Twisted 8 concert.  Wow, Tim loved it.  We all did, but not even close to how much Tim did.  All the bands that performed represented Tim and the kind of person he was.  Heavy, loud, head banging music.  We had box seats, so during the whole concert, Tim ran around jumping and just being Tim.  I don't know anyone else who had such a passion for music.

During our senior year, Tim was my Mass Comm and study hall buddy.  We had Mass Communications 3rd period together with Mr. Finley.  I'd usually be in the room before Tim, so I'd always be able to see him walk in, of course with his blaring music and iPod, and also those cargo pockets full of food.  And this wasn't just one item of food, oh no, this was BOXES of food.  Granola bars to be exact.  But he would also walk in the room eating other food.  I remember he carried in a foot long sandwich from Subway one day.  All I could do was roll my eyes and laugh.  He was always eating.  Always.  Once Mr. Finley entered the room, right away he'd say something to Tim about the feast he had on his desk.  Tim would shrug his shoulders and make 2 loud spurts of laughter, then continue with silent laughing, as he continued to stuff food in his face.   The whole class, including myself, always wondered what Tim would bring the next day to 'snack' on.  Study hall was the same way.  No food was allowed, but c'mon, this is Tim.  He never followed the rules.  He'd bring in another feast and then eat chewy bars that he had stuffed in his pockets.  Everything he ate he referred to as TimFood.  Oh, and who can forget how much water Tim would drink!  He had a Nalgene with his ALL the time, but I specifically remember one day when he showed up to school with a gallon of milk filled with water.  I remember clearly how I reacted when he walked into study hall holding a full gallon of water.  'Tim!...Are you serious?!'  A huge smile went across his face and he began laughing.  TimLaugh.  As he ate, listened to his iPod, and did his homework all at the same time, he was still able to make fun of Angelo (one of the para pros who sat in our study hall) with me.  Tim and I would always enjoy giving Angelo a hard time and I enjoyed watching Tim make fun of him. 

Tim was one of those guys who could always cheer you up.  He'd cheer you up by making you laugh about anything, make a dead baby joke (his specialty), give you some good music to listen to, give you a huge TimHug or TimHighFive, or just ask if you wanted to talk about anything.  He was always willing to listen to me complain about anything.  Whether it was about school, swimming, guys (yes, I complained to Tim about my guy problems), friends, or even if I was tired and just wanted to take a nap.  He'd 'sit' in his desk on his toes, head tilted a bit, giving you a full 95% of his attention; the other 5% was taken up by the food that he continued to put into his mouth.  Yet, he always would be interested in everything I had to say, and would give me the best advice he could, along with adding a few jokes in to crack a smile out of me.  It worked every time.  Tim knew how to get me (along with other people) to smile.  Even when I'd be walking down the hallway, and I suddenly heard, 'JAAAACKIEEEE!!!  WHHHAT'SSSS UUPPP?!?!?!'  I could do nothing but smile.  I could continue you on and on... the mud fights... Tim always dominated those.  Stealing garbage carts down at the beach, streaking, rockets, jumping on top of cars while they were moving, jumping in car windows while they're moving, having to comment after almost every line during a movie, always cheering for me during the swim meets he came to time, throwing me in the water at the beach, Lent (haha...), asking over 100 girls to Prom senior year... along with some guys too, random cartwheels in the hallway, being in the same Film class, having a close friend within my group who came to SHYG, his crazy hair around the time of conference for swimming, his van... oh geez... drag racing that thing was something he was so very proud of. 

The list of stories and things that remind me of Tim Hutson could go on forever.  But I know that he was an amazing person and an amazing friend.  I don't know anyone else like him, and I don't think I will ever meet anyone like him.  I guess the perfect way to describe Tim, is just to say that, 'Tim.'  Tim Hutson was definitely one of a kind.  He was the happiest and most spirited person I knew.  As well as one of the smartest people I have ever met.  Thanks Tim for your friendship over the past 4 years.  You're awesome, I love ya dude.

-Jackie Cavender

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."  Luke 18:16

I remember the day that the Lake Forest Cross Country team challenged the Stevenson team in a game of football our senior year.   They had beaten us pretty bad in cross-country that year, but we were determined to return the favor.   Our determination was fueled by one key aspect of our team; we had a guy built like a linebacker who could run like the wind, Tim.   Our game plan quickly evolved on the field, give Tim the ball and stand back.   Seeing Tim rip through the mass of scrawny runner bodies was a sight I will never forget.   I think it took at least three of the Stevenson horde to stop him, to harness his raw brute strength fueled by the simplest of culinary tastes, Tim Food.   With the outstanding work of Supertank, we beat our competitors

Our sophomore year in high school, we were at a cross-country team dinner and one of the upper-classmen, Adam Lemeiux, ate a cupcake in one bite.   Tim, being adventurous as usual, decided to try it as well.   Soon, they were trying to best each other in one of the greatest eating competitions I have ever seen.   Adam eventually beat Tim by placing a small tomato on top of his cupcake, but the fact that Tim never gave up; even on something as trivial as a hormone induced competition, really struck me as a powerful trait.

-Joe Oddo

Tim and I swam next to one another quite a bit in the off-season and that is where I got to know him best.  My fondest memories of Tim were when he was walking along the pool deck in his shorts, listening to who knows what kind of music, but singing and dancing along with ever note.  It was impossible to keep from smiling when he was around.  Thanks for that Tim! We miss you and love you!

-Jillian Robertson

Last year I asked Tim to be in a video I had to make for Telecom class.  I had him dressed up in this hideous, old flowered dress, a mullet wig, and bright red lipstick that was just as much around his lips as on them.  The idea was for him to pretend to be Chris RahnÕs ugly girlfriend.  TimÕs animation and consuming laugh heightened the hilarity of the situation more than I could have hoped for.  During a portion of the video where Tim and Chris hug, I witnessed two of the funniest faces I have ever seen.  One was of Tim grinning as he squeezed ChrisÕs butt cheek.  The other was of Chris who was both smiling, and grimacing in disgust.  Chris still maintains he was frightened by the experience.  For the outtakes of the video I had Tim do some bench press on his BoFlex machine in his costume, which also proved to be sidesplitting.

This is only one of TimÕs many memorable moments.  He was loud and obnoxious, but only enough to make you laugh and love him for it.  Tim never knew how to be quiet, but he always knew how to be supportive and headstrong.  I know that as a member of the swim team I can say that Tim was a tremendous hard worker and was always on the side of the pool cheering for his teammates.  And one thing is for sure, when Tim cheered you could always hear him.  He was also a huge supporter of the band I was in, What Remains.  He was always at our shows, screaming and dancing and running onstage.  He was probably our number one supporter and I was always grateful of that.

Tim, you probably never realized how much you meant to so many people, just by being you.  You were always there to add comic relief, just as you were there for encouragement when it was needed.  I hope you have found peace wherever you are.  You wonÕt be forgotten.

-Dave Ashley

So one day a few years back, all of us were looking for something to do...no surprise there.  We were at the beach, and contemplating all the fun and great things we can do in Lake Forest, when, it hit us.  Lets get the left over fire works we all have from July 4th.  A few of us went up to our cars and found left over bottle rockets and Roman Candles.  We went back down to the beach and started lighting them off.  Well, this became boring real fast, so of course, we looked for something else to do with them.  Being our brilliant selves, we decided to shoot the Roman Candles at someone--that someone being Tim.  The idea was to hit Tim as many times as we could while he was trying to dodge the flaming fire balls.  Tim was able to avoid many of the fire balls with his cat like reflexes and skills, until one struck him right on the arm and left him with a huge burn/welt mark.  Now we couldn't help from laughing, but who was laughing right there with us, Tim.  In all of his pain he found it equally hilarious. 

Tim was always right there beside you, laughing with you, and on occasion, at you.  Tim always had a special gift to make you feel better about yourself because he was always positive and lifted your spirits up. 

You will be missed dearly Tim for your love and charisma.

-Bob Rohr

Tim was a strong and caring individual. I remember before the Cross Country Conference meet junior year he had put a rose and card into my locker. Somehow he found out my combination by watching me open my locker after school that week. When I opened up my locker that day, I was so surprised and read the card immediately. Inside Tim had wished me good luck for the Conference race and told me that I could get me PR with no problem. I could not stop smiling afterwards because no one had ever done anything so sweet before. 

The next day turned out to be the worst weather that I have ever had to run a race in, but I kept thinking that Tim said I could get my PR so I did not just give up. He had motivated me and allowed me to have a positive attitude. The whole race I pushed and ended up running with girls who always finished ahead of me. Crossing the finish line I was exhausted and still did not get my PR that day, but Tim was right there at the end of the shoot telling me that I had done a great job. I told myself that no one could have gotten their PR that day because of the conditions. However, when I asked Tim how he did he told me that he got his PR and that just reminds me of how strong a person he was.

-Kelly Wagner

It's so difficult to even begin to explain how much of a hole has been left in all of our lives now that Tim is gone.  I was at a complete loss for words when I heard the news of Tim's passing because of the kind of guy that Tim was.  Tim and I shared almost all of our classes in high school Junior and senior year and his humor lifted the spirit of the class so well.  His jokes and odd habits of eating energy bars or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (a.k.a. Timlunch or Timfood) during every class period, or even having his own bowl and box of cereal brought from home to our AP Chemistry class puzzled everyone.  But Tim didn't care.  Tim was just Tim and that's what made him so special.  It was these little things that Tim said or did that made such a huge impression on my life, personally.  Everyday, one of the things that I looked forward to most was for Tim yell out "JACUSHIPOO!" at the top of his lungs when I would see him, even though I never had the balls to make such a scene out of myself in return.  I remember all the times that we swapped identities in math, or the times we used to compete for the better test grade.  It's these little things that I look back on now that I wish I had appreciated more and it's just too sad to know they will never be experienced again.  It's too true that people don't realize what they have until it's gone.  Tim, I wish I could tell you how much I miss you.  We all love you, and hopefully one day we will see each other again. 

-Jacek Stypik

Tim was always smiling. He never had a negative thing to say about anything or anyone. He was so smart, funny and dedicated, and he always had a perfect pick-me-up when you were having a bad day. He was one of the best people I knew and such a wonderful friend. We used to eat lunch together junior year by the old CAD labs and he would always tell us about track and cross country and would let me lean on his shoulder when I had a bad day or was tired. He possessed so many qualities that are hard to find in a friend and he will be sorely missed. Tim was truly a blessing to have in my life and he will always be in my heart. Tim -- may angels lead you in.

-Ashley Wood

I think every night out with Tim was one that never really had a dull moment.

I remember last April at Battle of the Bands when Tim jumped on stage and started rocking out hardcore, as he was apt to do on random occasions, to the music of What Remains as they brought their set to a close. I guess he rocked out a little too hard because right before we went on Anne Vales from CROYA came out and had to say "I want to let you guys know, please do not, DO NOT come up on the stage." Tim always loved music, you could tell by his fifth appendage: his iPod. I don't think I ever really saw Tim without it to tell you the truth. He loved music, especially anything that could give him an excuse for going crazy and being the Tim we all know and love was always on the play list.

A lot of my memories of Tim involve filming him doing something utterly ridiculous for the sake of everyone else's entertainment. There was this one night that I remember that we gathered together in the forest preserve by Jotto's house with a huge group of our good friends, my video camera, and a dozen roman candles. And I remember, as Losacco lit that first one Tim yelled, "Here, try and hit me" and took off pumping those cross-country legs down the path. Losacco, not one to turn down a chance at possibly injuring another human, tilted it towards Tim as he ran through the brush. I don't think the video captures the screams of Tim, half flesh-burning pain half hysterical laughter, as the orbs of fire exploded on his t-shirt. After the first one, I think everyone was surprised when Tim got up and yelled "Alright Sakk, let's go for another." This continuous fire battering pretty much went on for the rest of the evening and made us all aware of how insane Mr. Hutson really was sometimes.

Another time that comes to mind when I think of Tim is the time him and Ryan Pertz called me up at 8:00 on a Friday night telling me "Milli, grab your video camera and meet us in the parking lot by Best Buy in 20 minutes." Despite my better side, I took the challenge and arrived at the empty Vernon Hills parking lot to the sight of Tim immersed in a cardboard box ready for action. Before I could really ask was going on, Tim started running towards the open storefront of PetsMart, twirling through traffic like a demented ballerina. It wasn't that Tim did anything bad or really out-of-the-ordinary in the stores of Rivertree Court that evening, but he did so within the comic confines of a white box. Whether it be trying to get a table at Old Country Buffet, asking the attendants at TJ Max if the leopard-skin bra made him look fat, or shooting baskets in the basketball section of Sportsmart; I think we all learned a very important lesson that night. If you are dressed in a cardboard box people find it hard to take you seriously.

Thank you Tim, for all of those nights that would surely not have been the same without you; thanks for the entertainment, the craziness, the random hall way rock-out sessions, the constant speaking in the third person, and all of the memories that we attribute to these random incidents. Most of all Tim, IÕd like to thank you for just being a friend. So in closing, we all love you Tim and we are all going to miss you. You touched a lot of peopleÕs lives in your time that was surely too short, yet it was packed with enough energy for twenty lifetimes.

-Chris Millichap

I didn't know Tim all that well, but I could still always count on a laugh whenever he was around.  We were all blessed by the extra smiles he gave us.  Thanks Tim!

-Erinn Lachner

I loved how unpredictable he was. Tim was outrageous and funny, the most spirited guy I knew in school; every swim event he was dressed to the max for whatever theme. And his shaving patterns for his head when a big tournament came up were always so original and executed with the greatest expertise.

I remember in seventh grade, he was my lab partner for science, and we'd always be the loudest ones in the room because we were cracking up and laughing throughout the class- but somehow we always got our work done and received relatively good marks. But that's all due to Tim, because I certainly didn't know what I was talking about when it came to science.

I remember how supportive Tim was of all his peers. He caught all the sports events and plays, participated in Focus, and he still had the time to just kick back at lunchtime and entertain the masses.

-Anna Heatwole

I will always remember the first time I met Tim; well actually, it was the 2nd time.  The first time, I had gone to a friend's house to pick up my friend for the movies.  It was a cross country meeting, so of course, Tim was there.  I didn't actually meet him though.  So the second time I met him it was kind of a surprise.  He came right up to me and said, "hey" and knew both my first and last name.  I had no idea who he was so I was completely freaked out.  I had no idea how he knew me.  He kept saying "hi" though every time I saw him, he never explained how he knew me until about the 4th time.  Ever since then whenever he saw me, he would come up and say, "hey" and give me a huge hug.  It made my day every time I saw him.  The day just wasn't complete without a hug from Tim.  He was such a great guy.

This is the memory of when tim "asked" me to Prom.  There are many other lucky girls who probably have very similar ones.  I was at one of the high school dances, but wasn't having that great of a time.  Of course, I had already seen Tim there, and he was acting like his usual crazy self.  He was always the life of the party.  I was getting very bored with the dance and suddenly Tim came out of nowhere.  He grabbed me and my friend, and threw his arms around both of us.  I was excited to see him, but my friend was scared because she didn't know who this crazy senior was.  He was just laughing and having a great time.  He gave us a very loud and excited "hey!", and then asked us if we wanted to go to Prom with him.   My answer was definitely "Hell yeah!"  I knew he was joking, but I would have said the same thing if he was serious.  Who wouldn't want to go with Tim?  My friend for some reason said, "no."  Tim and I were both shocked and I was definitely mad at her for saying no.  Tim also made the guy I was with extremely jealous.  It was so funny, and just another example of the times I had with Tim.  From then on, I had a great time at the dance.  Tim made every experience SO much better.

-Dani Moss

I have so many memories of Tim, and I think it's safe to say that the majority of Lake Forest High School can say the same. Regrettably, I was never very close friends with Tim, but he was the type of person where it didn't matter. Everyone knew who he was, and whether you were great friends with him or not, he's probably called your name down the hallways and jumped on you in a huge hug at least once.

I remember we were in the same math class our junior year - 7th period Math Analysis with Mr. Hamberg (quite the character himself). Every day Tim would get there early and goof around a little bit before class, laugh at Mr. Hamberg's "Letter of the Day" spiel, and then as the It being 7th period, lunch would have passed one or two hours earlier, but Tim always seemed to be hungry. He'd have his gallon jug of water on his desk (leaving little room for his math book or a notebook), and one by one, he'd take out potato chips... a granola bar... a banana... Etc. Etc. The foodstuffs would just keep coming, and he'd eat them one by one. I sat on the other side of the room from him in that class, right next to the trash can, so in some periods he'd pass me two or three times to throw wrappers and whatnot away, and every time he'd utter his famous Tim-chuckle (quieter than usual so as not to disturb the class) and give me a big high five.

I remember one day senior year, a bunch of us were sitting on the senior stage having lunch. It was in the midst of college application time, when everyone was busy filling out forms and writing carefully crafted essays. Tim happened to bring a rough draft of his to the table, and I picked it up and started reading it. It started out with a 311 lyric (one of my favorite bands) and went on to talk about how much music meant to him. And if there's one thing I attribute to Tim, it's music. It seemed he never went anywhere without his trusty iPod and huge pair of headphones. You could always count on seeing Tim bouncing down the hallways, singing loudly to a song only he could hear. Sometimes he'd see me and yell out, "HENDRIX!" (Way too loud considering he was talking so he could hear himself over the music) "I'M LISTENING TO 311! YEAH!" following by the "rock" hand gesture and a head bang or two. I forget about this sometimes, but we actually had a concert experience together. It was a 311 concert at the Aragon in Chicago - junior year, I think. My dad was driving two of us, and Tim was following us in his car with a few others. I remember it was terrible weather that night - freezing and flurrying - and we arrived late, so by the time we got there the closest parking was on the street about two miles away. We lost Tim's car trying to find a space, and I didn't see him again until the end of the show. As masses of us were filing out of the theater, I saw and heard Tim barrel down the stairs from the balcony toward us. His shirt was off, he was really sweaty, and I had the feeling he'd spent the entire show as the most energetic one up in the balcony, where the crowd is usually tamer. Nothing could tame Tim, though. He was always excited about everything he did. He had no halfway - he was always 100 percent.

Tim was so unique he probably could've spawned his own adjective.

Attacking you in the hallway and catching you in a headlock, laughing all the way? "That's so Tim." Going whole hog when it came to track and swim dress-up days? "Ohhh, Tim." Seeing how many girls he could ask to the Senior Prom and tallying the yes and no answers? "What are you going to do? It's Tim." Tim was so unique, so full of life, so indisputably, unequivocally TIM. When I first heard about what happened, I couldn't do anything, and then I could do nothing but cry, because he was such an integral part of our class and our school and our community. He was always so full of humor, so full of kindness, so full of energy and life. I thought how ironic it was he was gone, because if anyone should live forever, I feel like it should be Tim Hutson. I guarantee anyone you talk to has at least one memory of him, and I really, really hope he had even an inkling of the enormous effect he had on people.

And I hope he's somewhere where he can rock out for eternity, where he can look down on us and laugh with us, just like he always did.

-Caroline Hendrix

Tim's happiness was pervasive, so much so that it continues to influence the smiles that shine on my face when I think of him.  His energy was contagious.  His kindness was genuine.  To have met a man with such genuine compassion, I feel honored and blessed.  Tim will be missed, but he will certainly be with us in spirit until we meet him on the other side.

-Tommy Wessel

So I start off with swim team, him and I were on the swim team together for four years. For one year we were in the same lane, and we were basically cohorts in permanent JV-dom. He was always animated and fun, he was always the cheerleader, the person who was always at the end of the lane to cheer on everyone and anyone. He was also the leader of whatever hazing the Lake Forest swim team had (which was barely any). He began the swim tradition of one freshman every year was to have a penis (shaft and balls) shaved into their head at before conference...began as in he was the first to have the famous symbol placed upon his head. He would also pin down the freshman of his choice (usually the most annoying) and unsuspectingly place his scrotum on their face, as the rest of the team laughed their asses off.

He would always swim butterfly for the swim team as well. Because he liked it? No, no one really liked butterfly. He did it because no one else would. He was willing to take up the challenge and do it, flap across the pool. So once it came apparent we was going to be doing it a lot, he set himself the goal of becoming the best butterflyer around. He came in third for butterfly at JV conference finals a year ago now.

His nickname for me (he has nick-names for everyone) was "Crazy Canadian Hand Job". The only one of those that really fit was "Canadian". I always shrugged it off as "Oh, it just Tim" and would respond with a chuckle or a smirk. I never told him not to call me that, I didn't care. It was Tim; he did things like this. He was rarely mean to people, he just had a humor that some didn't understand. He would walk around on the swim deck listening to metal or 80s rock and bounce around and yell the lyrics. He always sung the "Star Spangled Banner" a bit louder than everyone else.

This Winter Break Tess and I were hanging out quietly at The Moon enjoying fries or a milkshake...it doesn't really matter. Tim and a few of his friends came in, and Tim was his jovial self. I saw him out of the corner of my eye stuffing something in his mouth, and he came over to our table and spat out the 8 cream cups onto the table, saliva and all. Tess and I were slightly disgusted, but knew it was Tim... all was in good fun. So we took them back over and dumped them in his lap...only to find he now had 10 in his mouth...but he couldn't get over to our table without laughing, so he aborted the attack.

Then just a few days ago I got an IM from a random person asking about the porn links that were on my AIM profile, asking why the hell I had a gay porn link. I said, not knowing who it was "because I've gotta cater to many people." and then said, "you should take a look, I like that site" The person then responded with "oh, you Crazy Canadian hand job." I knew it was Tim, and smiled.

-David Scrivener

I laugh every time I think of this one.  Spring, 2003...Battle of the Bands...Lake Forest Academy.  I was standing in the back of the auditorium, watching this tall guy trying to get from the back of the room to the front, near the stage. The place was crowded, people standing in the aisles and he was unsuccessfully trying to find a way through the masses. All of a sudden I see him hop up on top of the seat backs and "walk" over the seats to his intended destination. When he finally turned so I could see his face it was none other than Tim Hutson! Of course!! Who else would blaze a new path from Point A to Point B???!!! 

-Joan Millichap (Chris' mom)

When I think of Tim, the words "life" and "happiness" come to mind.  Tim was the living symbol of life and happiness.  He brightened the room.  He made everyone laugh with his crazy antics and his goofy ways.  I enjoyed every single class (which was many) I had with Tim throughout our four years at Lake Forest High School, and I loved each one because of him.  He made going to class enjoyable.  As he always bounced down the hallways blasting music on his iPod and singing along to the lyrics, he always brought a smile to everyone's face.  Everyone wished they could be as full of life and exuberance as him.

Some of my fondest memories of Tim are from our junior year of high school.  With three classes together, and always sitting next to each other, we had some good times.  No matter the class period, he would always have his gallon of water (or his Nalgene), a box of granola bars in his cargo pockets, a banana, and whatever else he could carry with him.  He always bewildered us with the amount of food he ate and the water he drank.  With a few other people, he and I always had a lot of fun in our English 3H class.  Everyday, we would sit on the dirty and ripped up couch in Mr. Ferrari's room and goof around like we always did.  He always talked about either music or sports, both of which seemed to have been his inspirations.

On a more personal level, all I can say is that out of everyone I knew in high school, Tim was the person who made me smile and laugh the most.  Everything from randomly picking me up and hanging me upside down over his shoulders to merely just being his wild and crazy self still remains in my memories.  And I hope he's found a sense of peace and solace as well as a feeling of happiness, wherever he may be.

-Patricia Roy

I remember being a lowly freshman last year, and I met him at the hockey games when I went with my older brother.  He didn't just meet me and forget about me, he remembered me at school, and always said "Hi!" and gave me a big hug.  I had history right after he had psych, in the same room, and I would wait outside, and he'd come out and give me a hug in front of a bunch of other freshmen, and I would feel really special, cause, look!  I got a hug from a senior!  That's what Tim did; he made you feel special whenever you were with him.  I'm so blessed to have gotten to know Tim.         

-Stefanie Wessel

My CD of "Beautiful Songs"

Tim had a way of leaping into the cafeteria everyday at the beginning of fifth period lunch sophomore year. It was always a sure sign that fourth period lunch was over for all of us- our fifty minutes of escape were complete and it was time for us to dust off our books again and drag ourselves to our fifth period class. But Tim was always our alarm clock and last minute smile before we turned to battle the rest of the day and (quite predictably) Tim was almost always early to lunch.  How he managed to sneak out of class those few minutes early everyday, I'll never know. Tim would bound into the cafeteria from the far entrance under the social studies wing. As he came flying toward our table, he would shout our names at the top of his lungs.

In the world of my sophomore year of high school, the sound of Tim's voice and the loud "HEYYYYY, COLLLLEEEEENNNNN! WHAAATTTT'SS UPPPP?!" would translate to, "You had better duck for cover right now, Colleen, because I am running toward you full-speed and a collision is inevitable. Cover your head and hope for the best." I would shield myself, laughing as Tim gave "bear hug" a new meaning. Tim would chuckle loudly and sit down at the end of the table with the rest of our friends and privately head-bang to the music on his headphones. Even during my worst day of worst days, Tim Hutson sent me off to my fifth period Consumer Education class with a smile.

One weekday I was sitting a few seats away from my friends at lunch. I don't remember if I had received a bad grade or if someone had said something mean to me that morning, but Tim saw me sitting quietly. Tim did not dash loudly into the lunchroom that day. He paused his CD player and danced (in a discreet fashion for Tim) to my seat.

"Heeyyyyy! What's up?" He asked, taking the open seat next to me. "Listen to this song." He took of his headphones and placed them carefully over my ears. I watched his Offspring T-shirt crinkle as he looked into his hands, counting the tracks. When he had finally reached the song that he wanted to show me, he brought his eyes to mine and smiled.

I momentarily forgot about the headphones and music seemed to be all around. The tranquil tones of this band that I did not know had caught me off-guard. It wasn't until that very moment that I understood why Tim carried music with him all day.

"It's beautiful," I said.

"Isn't it?" He laughed. "I thought you'd say that"

"It makes you feel like you are in a movie"

"I know..." Tim laughed again.

The next day at lunch I wasn't upset or alone, but Tim made his quiet entrance again. I asked him what was wrong, but he just chuckled and kneeled down next to me.

"I have something for you," he said. He searched his backpack for a moment... and another moment... and another moment... "Hold on." He said.  He was beginning to get frustrated. He rested his Nalgene bottle on the table and started tearing through his huge cargo pockets. He pulled out something like three pens, a pencil, a couple of granola bars, a calculator, a bit of loose change, an eraser, an old stick of gum and then finally he laughed loudly and slapped a CD case on the table in front of me. I picked it up and read the title of the burned CD through the transparent case.

"Colleen's CD of Beautiful Songs"

Tim explained to me that these were the songs that he believed were beautiful. We agreed that these were songs to live for and every time that he heard them he understood a feeling that nothing but that music could express. Every time I heard those songs, I understood exactly what Tim was feeling through the only media on earth that could illustrate Tim-emotion: music. I play that CD and I can hear Tim Hutson laughing and living within the notes.

(But Tim Hutson is laughing and living within so many other things, too.)

The most beautiful element in the memory of my beautiful CD is not the title. It is not the concept, or even the titles of the individual songs themselves... it doesn't even lay within the notes of the music. The most beautiful aspect isn't carried in the melody, or even in the CD itself. The most beautiful element of this memory is that all of that beauty was a gift to me from someone more beautiful than all of the songs he sang.

Because I cannot

-(Stretch back remember. Concerts, mud fights, singing. He screamed so loud and long. Calls at 3 am when we just rolled our eyes and "Tim, we just can't take you anywhere." Sexual comments and straws up his nose with granola bars in his pants. "Sick, Tim! You HAVE GOT to CLEAN this CAR!")-

Think of a single person

-("Righhhtttt..." and how does that make you feel? That offspring t-shirt. Mxpx, stripping, streaking EVERYWHERE. "Will you do to prom with me?" dang, "How about you?" taking off his clothes just for fun- is that another cross-country t-shirt? Butterfly in his Speedo, running in his short-shorts... but he always noticed when I was sad.)-

More beautiful than Timothy Hutson.

-Colleen Dilenschneider

It was junior year and it had been raining really hard all day. We were all just chilling out somewhere when one of us suggested that we do something in the rain, because everything was wet and the weather was warm enough. So, we decided to have a mud fight at Jessica's house. I remember choosing teams, as if it mattered, because we all just ran around making truces with each other then betraying each other with a solid mud pie to the face and a prompt chase to return the favor. I hadn't hung out with Tim that often prior to this event, so I didn't really know him that well at the time. I quickly found out that Tim was the most vibrant person there, constantly moving and plotting against people and with others, wildly flying around the yard, and, most memorably, soaring down the Zip Line in order to "Jump Kick" somebody. Tim had the most unique and unchained spirit that I had ever seen, and it pains me that I am unable to experience his energy again, as that was who he was. Energy and Life.  He will be missed-

-Chris Losacco

"That best portion of a good man's life,
His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love."

-- William Wordsworth

When I think of Tim, I think of someone who was a friend to everyone.  If you knew Tim, you knew him well, and if you were friends you were close friends.  Tim had a quality that few people in this world ever achieve; he was willing to include anyone and everyone, and treat each person with the kindness and respect.  In high school especially, a place where many are lonely and there is little rhyme or reason to social acceptance, it is a rare person who is mature and kind enough to treat everyone with the dignity and understanding they deserve.  Tim was one of these few.  I will never forget walking down the hallways of the high school and feeling someone pick me up from behind and turn me upside-down, or the sight of a figure in the distance, running toward me with one arm outstretched for a "high five."  I should note here that I am very shy and for others to draw attention to me in this way would be horrifying, but Tim's greetings were comfortable and made me happy. It felt good to know someone cared how my day was going, and to have someone look so excited to see me made me feel good.  I'm sure anyone would say the same of Tim's outgoing nature; he had a way of making one feel as though they were the most important person in the world.  Like Tim, I ran cross-country and track.  At times when the boys and girls' team were together, I remember being impressed by Tim's friendliness toward the younger boys on his team.  Instead of intimidating them, Tim made the new members of the team comfortable with his sense of humor.  Tim often used this great sense of humor to support his friends.  When someone commented on a fellow runner's "funny looking stride," Tim replied that he thought the boy looked "cute."

In and outside of the classroom Tim was always someone one could count on.  He was a brilliant student who had no problem taking me through a physics problem slowly, step by step, during his lunch, even if he had his own work to do.  And he was always available to lend an ear when things were going wrong.  It was easy to tell Tim what was on my mind because I knew he would listen intently and then make me feel better with his sense of humor or some good advice. 

Tim was a brilliant, compassionate and understanding person.  It is one man in thousands who can claim to possess just one of these qualities, but Tim had them all and more.  I feel lucky to have known someone so genuinely and unfailingly kind.  I know I will never meet anyone with a heart as big as Tim's, and I will miss him always.

-Jamie Knight

Tim always brightened up the lunch period.  I remember during my junior year we would all sit near my locker in the 290 hall way and just hangout.  He always had a smile on his face and always tried to cheer you up even if you were in the worst of moods and everyone else was afraid to talk to you.  He had such a kind and compassionate heart and I'm going to miss seeing his smile when I come home on breaks.

-Elizabeth McIntosh

I remember when we were at Ryan Pertz's house our junior year for a mud fight in his glass filled ravine. We hosed everyone down and finished our barbeque and went inside to relax and one of the runners had brought the healing and cooling ointment, Ben-gay (spelling?). Everyone tested it out and one of the boys had put the muscle healer a little too high on their thigh, making their... "Neither regions" a bit uncomfortable. Knowing that Tim was one of the more experimental boys and that he would always take a joke well, the boy decided to take the opportunity for the laugh and told Tim that the cream felt great on one's privates. Tim, of course, proceeded to the bathroom. Minutes later, we heard him screaming from the discomfort and then laughing and sighing as he walked out of the bathroom. Needless to say, I don't think he ever did it again.

I remember that half of the time I could hear Tim coming down the hall, he would be yelling the lyrics to the song he was listening on his iPod and sort of mumbling them (even though he knew every lyric). But then, he would sneak up behind me and I would feel a smack on my ass.... I always knew it was him. I guess that was his way of saying "Hi" to me.

During a FOCUS lock-in our junior year, Barri and Tim were interested in each other. We noticed that both of them had disappeared for a while, we wanted to find them before the chaperones so that they wouldn't get caught doing what couples do. After searching around for a while I tried to think of where I would go in the school if I didn't want to be found and headed down to the Athletic Trainers office and I'm so glad I found them before the chaperones! I could not believe what they were doing! Tim was opening cupboards and drawers and finding latex gloves, ointment, cotton swabs, the trainerÕs tool.... anything that he could play with. After letting hid latex glove balloon fly around the room he came up to me and told me that he would "need to operate." Tim, Barri, and I stayed in there for a while longer, just having fun in there. Not many people ever figured out where Barri and Tim had gone and could only assume what they had been doing in their absence and that was one of the many amazing qualities about Tim, everything he did was better than it seemed.

Most of the people I hung out with in high school were very intelligent. Tim was one of the kids who was above and beyond genius and I always admired that about him. He never flaunted it either. I remember during my Plane and Solid Geometry class I was having trouble and had a D, even though I would pay attention in class and go in for help during my free periods but I was still having difficulty. One day, during lunch, Tim came over and I asked him if he could explain it to me. He told me that he hadn't taken Geometry in a few years but that he would give it a shot. Within 10 minutes he had explained the previous day's lesson and some of the basics that I still hadn't fully understood. I was able to finish my homework half way through lunch and I'd never done that before. That in itself meant so much to me. From then on I would ask him to help me and even during the few minutes between passing periods he wouldn't refuse. I don't think I ever heard about Tim refusing someone help; yet another amazing aspect of Tim that will be missed

-Jessica Shepard

Story of an Original Prankster

One day Tim Hutson looks around him and realizes that he lives in Ohio wow, Ohio's boring, he says to himself, but not really to himself since people twenty feet away look up at him then he realizes that he is in the library he leaves the library and walks into the center of campus the sun is up real high in the sky and leaves little round shadows on the ground except for around Tim where the shadow is more like a rectangular black box that hangs down from his chest original prankster by the offspring jumps from his earphones to his head to his lips  looks from the people thirty feet away let him know how loud he is, then he forgets  his dorm is a mile across campus so he starts to run but he takes the uphill route for fun  about a quarter mile from the door of his dorm he sees a cute brunette in Asics running shoes and spandex everything else and veers in her direction  she thinks she hears someone behind her grunting something along the lines of Timfood and books it  he doesn't even bother chasing  Tim's not too fast you see he's just... big  whatever, he says to himself  by this time he's already halfway into the wild woods of the Ohio plains and he remembers the answer to the riddle about the dog that is simultaneously running into and out of the woods and decides it would be fun to be a dog for, say, twenty minutes  he makes his way to the end of the woods all the while barking and chasing squirrels  in the next clearing he sees a pile of miniature boulders and he decides.   I'm sure you already know what I'm going to say; he decides it'd be hard core to run with one of those boulders in his pack back  he stuffs two in his backpack with the pocket unzipped but held secure with one of his shoelaces in a couple of double-hitch knots  the run resumes  he might seem lost to the random observer but he knows where he's going; it's just no one else does  with two boulders on his back and a full Nalgene swinging violently at his side, crossing the endless open country of Ohio, or possibly by now Kentucky, Tim sure looks hard core but rest assured his insides are far from hard  you'd be surprised at how sharp he can be at how much he listens even with his headphones turned up to the max  but soon he hits another line of trees and disappears  you can still hear him though  then it goes absolutely silent but you know he's making noise somewhere out there, running around or cart wheeling or something  it's not that he's not here anymore, it's just that he's running around somewhere else.

The Beginning

-Brian Anderson

Junior year we are all at a dance.  It's around the middle of the year so Tim's head is shaved for swimming.  He also was being Tim and therefore had gotten very sweaty from all his dancing and jumping around.  That night was also my sister's first high school dance.  At one point during the night I ask Tim if he would like to creep out my sister.  Of course Tim jumps at the chance so I point her out.  Tim proceeds to get even sweatier and then unbuttons the top 3 buttons of his shirt and goes over to my sister and asks her to dance.  My sister sees a large upperclassmen with a shaved head and his shirt half unbuttoned, absolutely dripping in sweat slowly approach her.  He asks her to dance and she is too petrified to say no.  My sister and her friends were terrified while the rest of us were across the room rolling on the floor.  To this day that's the way my entire family knows Tim because he stayed "in character" so well that I had to assure my sister at home that night that I sent him and that he was harmless.

-Jeff Shapland

Tim was never a guy anyone would call quiet. He'd horse around in class, occasionally being a little disruptive, but he'd still manage to get perfect scores on tests and quizzes. He was a genius. He was also a good person. He never treated his peers disrespectfully, even if he had ill feelings toward them. He may have made some "interesting" decisions at times (i.e. the Max & Erma's bunny story), but he never acted on his impulses without thinking. People thought that he would do anything you suggested to him, but he was too smart to be manipulated like that. He never did anything to cause harm to another, and he always treated girls like queens. He was a great guy. I'll never forget the time I was sitting in Max & Erma's with Jeff and some other friends when we saw Tim walk in with 3 people and a video camera. Right away, Jeff and I knew what was up. He'd done it a couple times before at the movie theatre and once at a bowling alley. About 20 minutes rolled around and all of a sudden, we hear "BLAH" and look up to see Tim jumping out of the men's bathroom wearing nothing but running shoes and a bunny mask. He pranced through the restaurant for a little while yelling "BLAH" every now and then, but he took care not to come into our field of vision. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen, even to this day. Tim was always good for a laugh. There were so many little things he would do that just cracked me up. He'd make his pecks dance while you were talking to him. He'd randomly come up behind you and grab your chest. Just his way of saying "Hi" I suppose. He'd cartwheel in the middle of the hallway just because he all of a sudden felt like it. He was great to have around. There are so many memories and stories I have of Tim (the Box, fireworks, Chem - AP, Physics, hockey games). He was definitely a presence in my life. I'm really going to miss him.

-Adam White

I never knew Tim, I remember that on Class Distinction Day our senior year, Tim wore the traditional toga and, when I was in earshot at least, talked about not wearing anything underneath, as is tradition with guys like him. Whether or not this is true of course, I do not know. That is pretty much the only memory that I have specifically of him, besides seeing his face passing by in the hallway. He was always smiling. I can't remember a time I didn't see him laughing with his friends or just people he knew. He seemed like one of those guys that was incapable of being mean or catty (whatever the male version of 'catty' is), unlike oh right, everyone else at LFHS.

Even though I did not know him more than a face and a name and from what I saw/heard about him at school, he will be sorely missed and most definitely not forgotten.

-Amy Hinricher

Where do I even begin?

I met Tim in 7th grade when he got kicked out of St. Mary's, but he was always in denial about that.  He never considered it getting "kicked out," he felt that he chose to leave because he hated it.  I'm not even sure he ever told me the entire reason for his leaving.  

I became friends with him instantly based on our similar interests: music, computers, sports, weight lifting, etc.  It seemed like every time we'd hang out, we'd get into some sort of trouble.  In fact, the first time I slept over at his house, we thought it would be a good idea to go outside at 2:30 in the morning and build a huge bonfire in the middle of his driveway.  He brought a few of his remaining St. Mary's items and thought it would be a good idea to torch them along with those annoying AOL CDs everyone gets in the mail.  Tim hated AOL; he refused to use it.  In fact, as soon as he found out that he could switch Internet service providers and just talk on AIM, he picked up earthlink as soon as possible (and later DSL and Cable).  After about ten minutes of our bonfire, Mrs. Hutson came outside and put our festivities to an end.  Needless to say, she was not too happy. 

The year progressed, and the memories kept building.  I remember playing huge games of capture the flag in his yard; he had the perfect yard for games like those.  He had a very long driveway with bushes on either side leading up to his house, with a large yard on both sides.  Tim and I were pretty fast runners, so we'd always try and team up, and together we could usually get the flag pretty easily.  We denied that it was unfair.

A bunch of us were in the Quest math program, and since Tim transferred schools, he was only allowed to be in advanced, when CLEARLY he was more than smart enough to be in Quest.  He was always bitter about that...
 

8th grade came along, and we got more and more into music (along with some more trouble).  Let's talk about the music first, which includes many of my favorite memories of Tim.  He and I listened to a bunch of the same bands and definitely had similar tastes in music.  He started expanding his horizons, as did I, and we'd introduce each other to many bands, most of which I still listen to today.  In fact, he let me borrow his Led Zeppelin box set that included every single Led Zeppelin song, and they soon after became my favorite band and still are to this day.  I scroll through my iPod today (which I have because of Tim) and look at my thousands of songs, and I'd say at least half of them have a connection with Tim.  He introduced me to so many bands, so many different types of music, so much to this world.  I remember sitting in class and transferring music to each other through our minidisk players (which we both decided to buy so we could transfer songs to each other) just about every day, when we probably should have been paying attention.  I could go on and on about the music he loved and how he lived each day through the lyrics, but it would take years to get it all down.  Just a few of the many bands that he either introduced me to or that we both enjoyed a lot and had a great connection between each other were:  Led Zeppelin, 311, Offspring, Incubus, Papa Roach, Puddle of Mudd, Red Hot Chili Peppers, for those who know the inside joke behind this: The OutThere Brothers, Eminem, Everlast, Filter, Trapt, and many many more.  Sure, those are all (for the most part) rock bands, but that wasn't all Tim listened to and appreciated.  I remember looking through his iPod senior year and seeing some Mozart and a few other classical pieces on there.  He told me that he liked listening to classical depending on what kind of mood he was in.  His music always reflected his mood. 

Okay now the fun stuff.  Trouble.  Let's start with Tim's birthday party.  There were probably about 7 of us over at his house, all spending the night.  Mrs. Hutson took us somewhere, probably a movie or something, and piled us into the minivan.  On the way home, I thought it would be a good idea for some reason to start sticking my head out the window.  Tim, being the Tim that he was, decided to one-up me and he stuck his out farther.  So, naturally, I couldn't let down and I stuck practically my whole torso out the window.  Tim, being the Tim that he was again, decided to take it to the next "completely unnecessary yet hilarious" Tim level and he climbed out of the car and on top of the roof!  Keep in mind we were going like 30-35 mph and his mom didn't even realize what was going on until we got into the driveway.  Later that night was the first time he (and I and a few others) exposed ourselves for the first time.  Maybe that wasn't such a great idea now that I see what that led to...

Or how about the first time Tim got arrested?  We were all sleeping over at Sean Werber's house (remember him?) for his birthday, and we thought it would be a good idea to play some pranks.  We were all camped out in the backyard anyway, so sneaking out of the house wasn't very difficult of course.  I think in that one night we TPed a house, pulled a Billy Madison with a flaming bag, and ding-dong-ditched a few houses.  My friend, Zach, who went to the Academy, was there and I'm pretty sure that was the first night he met Tim.  They sort of paired up while Pertz and I didn't feel like getting caught with the police for stupid pranks (because our moms would have killed us) so we stayed back near the house.  We were sitting on the curb near Sean's house when we saw headlights turn onto the street.  This was at about 3am mind you, so we ran.  We ran into the house and spied through the front window.  It was indeed a cop, and he pulled into the Werber's driveway, but his lights weren't on.  We sprinted to the basement, and the next thing we know he left, but he soon caught Tim and Zach.  Somebody called in about the ding-dong-ditching and the cop found them.  Tim almost tried to outrun him, and he would have been able to, but he decided better of it.  After talking to the police officer for a bit, the two came back to the house, and they had to take care of some business at the station.  Tim was a little nervous cause he had a pocketknife on him, but he secretly handed it to me and I hid it in the house.  I wonder if he ever got that back...

We entered high school, and both of us were big on weight lifting.  I saw him in there nearly every day, so we decided to be lifting partners.  He introduced me to these things called "ladder curls" that year.  They were curls where you would do one preacher curl, hand it to your partner while he does one, then you do two, he does two, all the way up to ten and then back down.  I have never felt soreness like I did the next day.  I don't think I could move my arms past a 90-degree angle.  We pushed each other and pushed each other to get stronger, and we'd have competitions.  I was at a slight disadvantage because he always weighed more than I did, so we would use our math-minds to figure out what we should be lifting relative to our weight and how we could both improve.  He carried this motivation and drive throughout every aspect of his life, which was something I always admired about him. 

Tim, Pertz, and I put together an mp3 website online that year.  We were all pretty good with computers, so we knew what we were doing, or at least thought we did.  But Tim decided to take it to the next level.  We were just having fun with the whole thing, and Tim found out we could make money if we put a banner on our web page and had people click on it.  We made about $.02 per click, but when you have a "ghostmouse" thing that Tim found clicking over and over on your banner all night, the numbers can sure add up... We stopped doing this when Tim was called for his social security number by the company after we received a pretty large paycheck...

We also played a really mean prank on Pertz that year some of you may remember, one of which I regret.  I don't want to go into details, but at the time Tim and I thought it was genius, and it worked.  Thanks Pertz for never taking it personally and being able to laugh about it now, I respect you greatly for that.

Tim always pushed the limits with everything he did, whether it was school, sports, computers, music, the law, or random people by asking them obvious uncomfortable questions that he thought was hysterical.  He always set goals, and he always reached them.  He was so kind and welcoming to people, in his own little way sometimes.  He would always help me with any kind of homework, namely physics because I didn't understand a word of it.  And as much as Mr. Lowry tried to kick Tim out of that class, there was nothing he could do to prevent Tim from receiving an A in his class, which must have really pissed him off!  Or in CAD and CAD Honors when we worked together to receive an A+ in CAD Honors.  I couldn't have done it without you Tim.  I'm not sure if I could have survived most of my classes without you, because you were practically in them all, helping me and constantly keeping me entertained, even when I didn't want to be. 

Tim had a unique sense of humor, one of which many did not understand.  I personally thought he was a very funny guy, but I was one to back off whenever it would mean me getting in trouble, but that never stopped Tim, as many of us know.  He could always appreciate such small things, and laugh about them at the top of his lungs, literally.  I think it was in physics when we ranked levels of funniness based on Tim's reaction.  If it were kinda funny, he'd just laugh.  If he thought it was really funny, he'd give it a few claps -- a three clapper meant it was pretty damn funny to Tim.  If it was absolutely hysterical he'd give it the ol' knee slapper.  He made his presence known, that's for sure.   He loved music and loved to sing... also very loudly.  I was lucky enough to witness the joy on his face when, after about a year of answering "SEVEN!" to every single question a teacher would ask, he finally got one right, and actually ended up getting two correct answers of 7 by the end of senior year.  He loved doing spontaneous things that some people thought were too crazy, like doing cartwheels in the middle of the lunchroom, yelling "SELBY!!!" or "WEASEL!!!" at the top of his lungs whenever he entered a room with them inside, or when he shaved certain body parts in his head two years in a row, or sticking full bananas down his throat which was a little creepy, or for those who know the secret behind "Sim Farm," or streaking in a bunny mask (multiple times) through Blockbuster and Max and Erma's and came to school the next day bragging about them, or eating a box of granola bars a day calling it "TimFood," or drinking gallons of water every day from his Nalgene bottle, or proving the makers of the Nalgene bottles wrong by actually breaking the bottle itself, or having someone ask him for a pencil and have him dig through his constantly-filled pockets unloading things like his iPod, headphones, random notes from class, his water bottle, and other random objects before finally reaching the bottom of his last pocket for a spare pencil, or how about when he asked 69 people to prom and ended up tallying up how many yes's and no's there were (yes he chose 69 for a reason)... but I think he actually ended up going beyond that original goal.  I thought these were crazy, but they were TIM.  That's part of what made him who he was.  I never took offense to anything he did or said, because I knew his intentions were never bad, just for shits and giggles.  He was always so full of energy and joy, part of which makes everything that happened so hard to understand. 

I talked to Tim the night right before he died at around midnight.  The last IM was sent at 12:05:40, but who's counting.  After high school, we didn't talk much, just online about computer stuff, or funny jokes, or things of that nature.  I happened to have gotten a link to an mpeg movie that I knew he would appreciate, so I sent it to him.  It was pretty gross, I must admit, but I knew he got a kick out of things like that.  Here was the last bit of our conversation:

Rightslam (12:04:56 AM): LOL
Rightslam (12:04:57 AM): yea
Rightslam (12:05:02 AM): I don't know what's the most gross
Rightslam (12:05:06 AM): The fact that people are into that
Rightslam (12:05:13 AM): The fact that people posted it on the internet
Crawdaddy7777 (12:05:24 AM): ewwwww
Rightslam (12:05:26 AM): Or the fact that I watched the entire thing for some dumb reason
Crawdaddy7777 (12:05:27 AM): so nasty
Crawdaddy7777 (12:05:28 AM): LOL
Crawdaddy7777 (12:05:30 AM): hahahaha
Crawdaddy7777 (12:05:32 AM): I didn't even do that
Rightslam (12:05:40 AM): lol, yea

That was the last time we talked, and he was still full of humor even on that day, which was technically his last.  I wish he would have said something, anything he just acted like his usual self.  He started off with a laugh, and ended with a laugh.  Tim--you had so many good qualities, many of which cannot even be listed.  Your uniqueness and character brought much joy to my life, I am going to miss you more than you ever could imagine.  You will never be forgotten.

-Andrew Crawford

Thank you so much to everyone who contributed a small piece of the affect that Tim had in your life for this memoir.