SO LONG, WILL HUTCHINS

Your down-to-earth portrayals reflected the honest and friendly man you were. 

Sugarfoot, based on the Will Rogers movie, The Boy From Oklahoma, depicted you as sarsaparilla-drinkin' Sheriff Tom Brewster, who was considered so displaced on the dusty trail that he came to be called "sugarfoot," a category below even that of "tenderfoot." Nevertheless, week after week, Brewster rose to the occasion: a hero who held his own with television's best cowpokes. 

Fans also took note of your lively team-ups with Elvis Presley in Clambake and Spinout; your roles in the movies, Merrill's Mauraders, Claudelle Inglish; Magnum Force; Roar; Shagani Patrol; The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington; Gunfighter; and the cult-ish The Shooting; as well as your enthusiastic stint as Woody Banner on Hey, Landlord and as Dagwood Bumstead in the 1968, Blondie series; plus guest appearances on Cheyenne, Bronco, Maverick, The Quest, Conflict, The Roaring 20's and Surfside 6.

Few realize, though, that you performed your patriotic duty as a cryptographer during the Korean War and also had a fulfilling career as a clown named Patches, traveling Australia with the famous Ashton Family Circus. 

You lived your life as you saw fit, Mr. Hutchins, and your love of life was evident to your many admirers. Because of this, you remained one of the good guys through every entertaining turn, always gracious, always kind, always one of the uncommon, common people.