Dr. Patricia Claudette Bond Hutto was born in Jackson, Tennessee, as the only child of the late Claude and Mildred Bond. She resided in Atlanta, Georgia, and her life was defined through her sincere and constant devotion as a daughter, mother, grandmother, teacher, and servant of God.
Patricia loved abundantly and was committed to her family. Her unshakable faith, integrity, and moral compass were rooted in the living example displayed by her parents. Throughout their lives she was a devoted steward to their care and well-being, and after their passing remained committed to the preservation and perpetuation of their loving legacy. Patricias relationship with her son Claude was a great source of joy, fulfillment, and support. Their unique bond transcended the confines of the traditional parental relationship and allowed them to also become true confidants and friends. Their lives intersected daily and they shared the values of family, love, and togetherness. Patricia also loved and adored her grandson Claude and cherished their time together.
The most important aspect of Patricias life was her belief in Jesus Christ as her personal Savior. She was a servant leader who was committed to evangelism and leading others to know the Lord. She possessed a sweet generous spirit and was compassionate and supportive of others. She was genuine and highly relatable, and displayed a quiet dignity and grace that were accentuated by humility and gratitude. She was faithful and loyal to all the things that truly mattered in life.
Patricias interests included literature, teaching, travel, gardening, and the arts. Her love for literature fueled her enthusiasm for teaching, and her love of travel help to expand her love and understanding of people and broaden her world perspective. Her favorite destinations included Canada, Europe, Mexico, Egypt, Israel, and the islands of the Caribbean. From these hands-on experiences of meeting and living with people of other nationalities, she gained an even greater appreciation of the richness of cultural diversity. Service was an important aspect of Patricias life and gave extensively of herself. She was a faithful member of Central United Methodist Church in Atlanta, where she served as a Communion Stewardess, and had been a member of the Disciple Bible Classes and the Evangelism Outreach Groups. She was also a member of the Mo-So-Lit Circle and Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority Inc. Both of Patricias parents were educators, and it was from her parents that she inherited a love for teaching and learning, and gained insight into the necessity of attaining a good education and its impact on personal and community uplift. Patricia pursued her education in several richly diverse and highly competitive environments. She graduated from Howard High School in Chattanooga, and then matriculated at Howard University in Washington, D. C., where she received her B.A .and M.A. degrees in English. Additionally, she completed her Ph.D. in American Studies from Emory University in Atlanta. Her dissertation was entitled The Black Heroine in Selected American Novels and reflected her in-depth knowledge of literature and urban history. As a teacher, Patricia personified professionalism and was fiercely committed to her students. Her love of literature was endless and contagious, and inspired her students to find their own literary voices. Although Patricias primary training was in literature, she received multiple research fellowships that spoke to her interest and abilities in other academic areas. These awards included the WSB/NBC media internship; A National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship; A United Negro College Fund Doctoral Fellowship; a Clark College Doctoral Award; An Emory University Doctoral Fellowship; and a National Endowment the Humanities Doctoral Research Grant. She held membership in several learned societies, including Sigma Tau Delta Honor Society, and Phi Delta Kappa.
Patricia always had a keen interest in establishing a link between the academic world and the broader community. Consequently, over the years she was involved in numerous university extracurricular projects. One aspect of the work which she found engaging was designing and coordinating The Clark College/ Clark Atlanta University Writers Workshop Conference. The Workshop has as its objective exposing students in the Atlanta University Center and persons from the broader community to nationally acclaimed writers and critics, such as Gwendolyn Brooks, James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, and Nathan McCall.
Patricia is survived by her loving son Claude Piercefield Hutto, grandson Claude Piercefield Hutto II, and a host of other relatives and friends. Grissom-Clark Funeral Home. 404-373-3191 227 East Lake Dr. SE, Atlanta GA 30317. www.grissom-clarkfh.com
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