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Kenneth Hutchins

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Kenneth G. Hutchins
Born
Kenneth Gordon Hutchins Jr.

(1941-04-05)April 5, 1941
Norwood, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedJuly 2, 2021(2021-07-02) (aged 80)
Northborough, Massachusetts, U.S.
OccupationLaw enforcement officer
Known forChief of Police of Northborough, Massachusetts; invocation at the 2012 Republican National Convention
SpousePriscilla Marion Glass

Kenneth Gordon Hutchins Jr. (April 5, 1941 to July 2, 2021) was an American law enforcement officer who served as chief of police of Northborough, Massachusetts from 1980 to 2003.[1][2] A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), he served as president of the church's Florida Tampa Mission and as president of the Boston Massachusetts Temple.[3][4]

Early life and education

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Hutchins was born April 5, 1941, in Norwood, Massachusetts, and graduated from Walpole High School.[1][2] He served in the United States Navy aboard the USS Cassin Young.[1][2] After he and his wife joined the LDS Church, he enrolled at Brigham Young University and received degrees in criminal justice and political science.[1][2]

Law enforcement career

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Hutchins served as a law enforcement officer in Utah, Colorado, and Massachusetts, and served as chief of police in Northborough for 23 years before retiring in 2003.[1][2] According to his obituary, while serving as chief he established a multi-community SWAT team, graduated from the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and led the Northborough Police Department to become one of the first small-town departments in the United States to receive national accreditation.[1] Community Advocate reported that local officials and the sitting chief described him as a forward-thinking and innovative leader and credited him with programs such as community policing initiatives and school resource officers in Northborough.[2]

LDS Church service

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In the LDS Church, Hutchins served in local leadership roles including bishop and stake president.[5] He had previously served as a counselor to Mitt Romney in the stake presidency in the Boston area.[5]

In 2003, Hutchins was called to serve as president of the Florida Tampa Mission.[3][1] In 2006, he was called as president of the Boston Massachusetts Temple, with his wife, Priscilla, serving as temple matron.[4][1]

2012 Republican National Convention

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Hutchins gave the opening invocation at the 2012 Republican National Convention on the night Romney accepted the nomination as the Republican candidate for president of the United States.[6][7] At the time, he was recovering from chemotherapy and had active lymphoma at the time.[6][5]

Death

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After a 20-year battle with various cancers, Hutchins died at his home in Northborough, Massachusetts, on July 2, 2021.[1][2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Kenneth Gordon Hutchins Obituary". Hays Funeral Home. July 2, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "He will be missed: Northborough remembers Chief Hutchins". Community Advocate. July 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
  3. ^ a b "New mission presidents". Church News. March 29, 2003. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
  4. ^ a b "New temple presidents". Church News. August 5, 2006. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
  5. ^ a b c Benedict, Jeff (August 22, 2012). "Mitt Romney asks long-time Mormon colleague Kenneth Hutchins to offer prayer at Republican National Convention". Deseret News. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
  6. ^ a b Benedict, Jeff (August 22, 2012). "Mormon, former police chief Kenneth Hutchins to pray at Republican National Convention after life of service". Deseret News. Retrieved January 9, 2026.
  7. ^ Berlinerblau, Jacques (August 28, 2012). "Republican National Convention's mixed blessings". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 9, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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