Thanks—You Can Pray

The following is a speech I gave in honor of my good friend, Roy Hutton, at his funeral in 2020.

A hero is defined as a person who is admired for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. How many heroes do you have? What are the criteria on which you base this list? We all need people to look up to in this life.

Well, let me tell you about one of my heroes.  His name is Roy Hutton. I think of him often. I had many opportunities to get to know him through the years.  Sports was one interest we had in common. He and I would take trips to ball games and, on special occasions, we got to attend coaching clinics at the University of Alabama. We had great conversations on those trips. It was during those times that Roy and I would go backstage and talk about the troubles and struggles that we sometimes face in this world. He shared with me how he overcame alcohol dependency and how his lovely wife, Jackie, backed him and stayed with him during those troubled days. He talked about his great love for his family. He always would call and visit Taylor when he attended the football clinic at Alabama.

 He would also go to ball games at Adamsville High School on a regular basis. He was a loyal fan when his granddaughter, Gracie, would play her softball games. Roy loved Blane, his son,  and Tee, his daughter-in-law, deeply; he might not let Tee know it too much—you see, she is a Tennessee fan.  He talked about his love for Michelle, his daughter, and Jim, her husband, and their two daughters, Megan and Nicole Rodgers.

 (I had the opportunity to know Blane and Michelle as great students when I was principal at Adamsville High School and to watch them grow up to become outstanding adults.)

 Roy and I would talk about Texas football since Michelle and her family lived in Dallas. He could not get over the size of those high school football stadiums in Texas.

  He shared with me his anxieties and fears as well as his hopes and dreams for the future.  Those trips were special.

So, why “hero” attached to his name? Well, in large measure, you see, alcohol had a strong hold on his life for a significant amount of time, but Roy has been free of alcohol for the last  37 years. As one of his friends, Bob Gray, told me the other day that he never knew Roy any other way than his being sober. He spent countless hours playing golf. That probably became his healthy addiction. Well, most of the time, until he had to discipline one of his clubs for poor performance.

 As I have spent years visiting the Hardin and McNairy jails—a place not unfamiliar to Roy in his earlier years—it  became clear to me that the majority of those inmates are incarcerated because of their behavior connected to their addictions.  I was able to witness first-hand how those men really struggled to overcome their dependencies.   

To overcome the grip of alcohol as Roy did is incredible. He told of the story how Dr. Smelser read him the bottom line and how Jackie was always there. The humility he exhibited in continuing to refer to himself as a recovering alcoholic after 30-plus years was inspiring and only added to my great respect for him.

He talked about this church and his desires for it to be the best it could be. He loved the Lord and he demonstrated it in many different ways. He had a good time living—and did not hesitate to tell you exactly what he thought. But beneath that sometimes hard-to-read outer appearance was a man of a sincere heart.

 I often thought about Roy’s commitment and diligence to his abstinence. How did he do it? You see, Jackie and Roy Hutton are examples not on how to win in life when everything is going your way. Theirs is a model to live by when everything is not going your way. Though they were not perfect, with devotion to God and to their family and a willingness to persevere, they were able to have an abundant life. They lived it together for fifty-seven years. What a memorable legacy they leave for their children and grandchildren!

 I am so thankful for my time with him. As is not unusual with anyone we know for a long period of time, there were a couple of times when differences of thought could have led our relationship off path. But Roy did not keep grudges, nor did I, and our friendship triumphed over the test.  He was one of my heroes.

He and I had the same birthday, September 18. I remember the time both of us were getting our licenses renewed when the Driver’s License Center was located here in Adamsville out at the Dan Ward building. Though I renewed my license rather quickly, he ran into a problem. It seemed there was a hold on his renewal. He discovered that he owed for a traffic ticket from a long time ago in North Carolina. He had to call and pay his ticket before he could renew his Tennessee license. The ticket had escalated in cost significantly more than the original fine. He then inquired about the ticket itself and the increased amount. The lady who took his call informed Roy that the amount could have been even higher! Upon hearing that, Roy quickly said, “Thank you and where do I need to send the check?”

Several years ago there was a referendum in Adamsville to raise the sales tax from .0925 to .0975. I was a city commissioner at the time and would bring it up at Jack’s. That gathering of long-time citizens was very important to the passing of the referendum. I remember talking to several men and trying to convince them that the city needed the money. Several did change their minds and voted for it, including David Foster. But Roy was not going to vote for any tax increase. And he would let you know it. That was Roy.

I remember asking him one time about who taught his Sunday morning adult Bible class. He indicated that Tommy Ross was his teacher at the time. I asked him how did Tommy do teaching? He told that he was a very good teacher and added that—I don’t know for sure—but sometimes I think Tommy teaches some things that are not in the Bible.😊

You have not lived until you experienced the gathering of old buddies at Jack’s. If you are weak of spirit and cannot take criticism then you should think twice about going. This was especially true on Saturdays. We had our own Citizen of the Year Award, which was given  on the same day as the Heisman Trophy Award Presentation every December. Roy won the award one year as well as David Foster. Fred Dierks was also a winner.  Man did we have some laughs. 

There used to be a show on Fox News, the Hannity and Combs program. We had our own Hutton and Foster program. I remember it got rather heated one day and David went home and told Edith his wife that he wished he could get his hands around Roy’s neck.😏 I had coined a name for Fred who was the Instigator, Roy was the Agitator, and  David was the Big Tator. But all in good fun. 

One day Roy was really coming down hard on education. He was letting me have it because there were so many cars in the Michie Elementary parking lot, indicating to him—too many employees for that school.  He had gathered a pretty good audience to hear his complaint to me. Finally, he said what do have to say for yourself? I said, Roy, do you know what the number one problem is in education in McNairy County? If we could solve this problem it would be unlimited what the results would be. He leaned back in his chair and said—tell  me. I said, “Roy, there is a segment of the population here in which the number one problem in our schools is genetics. (I wondered for a minute if he knew what I implied.) (No disrespect to Michelle and Blane though!) He paused for a moment and then laughed and said—you got me on that one.

He had a unique laugh. When I called our son John and told him about Roy’s passing, he commented on his laugh. John loved to come to Jack’s on Saturday morning to hang out with Roy and some of the others when he came back home.  He loved to go to that table.  He told me that Roy would call him on the phone from time to time. That meant so much to him.

Roy loved life. His high school quote was “A little work and a lot of fun is the way to get things done!” One of his favorite things to do in high school was “pulling the wool over the eyes” of  T.V. Jordan, the principal, who was hard to fool.

 He would come in to Jacks and get a breakfast special on Saturdays. He would get double gravy instead of tater tots. I can still see how he would open his grape jelly package. He made his food look so good. 

He would listen for a period of time and then he would engage in some bantering. He could be as direct as he thought the occasion needed. His input would sometimes cause you ponder—scratch your head.

But, oh to re-live those moments with all the gang once again. Several have passed and the Covid virus has hindered the gatherings. But they now and always will live in the hearts and memories of those who came to the table.

Roy was a fun-loving man. He was genuine. He never met a stranger. We would be on the University of Alabama practice field and the next thing you knew he was talking to one of the managers who was in charge of sounding the horn that indicated the changing of drills.  He would tell you what he thought in a heartbeat. But you could do the same to him. I never heard him rail against anybody. Well—almost anybody, that is, except Philip Fulmer and the University of Tennessee. We went to several games together especially on the road. 

I can truly say my life is better for knowing Roy Hutton. Beneath that sometimes gruff exterior was a gentle man who walked tall in my eyes. To know him made me better. He is one of my heroes.

During the days that he was in the hospital, I would try to call or text him. Jackie had told me to try to encourage him. I called her most every day to get an update. In fact, the day that Jackie died unexpectedly I had talked to her around 2:00 that  afternoon. She indicated that Blane, Michelle, and she had had a zoom meeting with Roy that same day and he might be somewhat improving. I remember texting Roy the day after he was told of her passing:

Praying for you! So sad to hear about Jackie’s passing. Keep the faith. We are heading to where Jesus is. Let us keep up the good fight!

Your Friend Mark

He responded back the last words that I would receive from him: Thanks You Can Pray.

When Blane called to say that Roy had passed, I told him I really believe Roy died the day he heard about the passing of his hero, Jackie.

Blane shared this with me from Jimmy Stroud, a golfing buddy:  “One time a couple of years ago, we were playing and we were standing in 14 fairway and out of the blue, Roy looked up and said, ‘I really wonder what it’s like in heaven.’ Now he knows.”

May God help us all to remember their examples—that with Christ as our strength, a strong and loving family, and perseverance, we can overcome the great challenges in our lives. I believe Roy would say to us all: Thanks be to God for all his wonderful blessings and thanks to you for coming today—and remember you can pray to the One who sustains us through our challenges and valleys triumphantly.  And for emphasis, he would add sentiments he often used,
 “I guarantee ya.” “How much ya wanna bet?”