Melissa Joy

Hutchinson

Melissa Joy Hutchinson, was born on November 1, 1974 at Sydenham Hospital in Harlem New York City, to parents FitzRoy and Alma Hutchinson.

True to her name, Melissa was a bundle of joy who beat the odds and deeply impacted the lives of everyone with whom she came in contact.

Melissa grew up in Englewood, New Jersey, and attended various schools within Bergen County. Starting out at Anna C. Scott School in Leonia, then onto schools in Bogota, Emerson and Hackensack.

Melissa adored her mother and father, and loved traveling to visit family in New York City, and Seattle, Washington. She very much enjoyed going to summer camp and making new friends each year at Camp Jaycee in Pennsylvania. Melissa attended church with her family and was Christened at Westside Presbyterian Church in Englewood.

As a youth, Melissa led a fairly active life, she loved dancing and singing and playing whiffle ball in the back yard, she could really hit.

She loved wrestling with her big brother, which drove mom nuts.

Melissa loved roller skating and participated in the Special Olympics where she was awarded the Special Olympics Outstanding Athlete - fall sports award for 1993 -1994 ... for roller skating!

In January of 1997 Melissa started at The Arc of Bergen And Passaic County. Through the Arc, she worked for a short stint as a grocery packer at a local supermarket in Fort Lee, New Jersey, then continued contributing to The Are through The Hoehne Rehabilitation and Employment Center in Hackensack, for twenty eight years before moving on to Spectrum For Living's Teaneck ATC (Adult Training Center) in late 2025.

In 2008, Melissa entered the care of Spectrum for Living, "Serving people With Developmental Disabilities". It was through Spectrum For Living and the Paramus Group Home in particular, where Melissa would continue developing, and forming solid lifetime bonds with both staff and residents.

Smiling, laughing, bowling, singing, dancing, and hugging, (she gave great hugs), it was through Spectrum, that Melissa continued to explore many of the things she loved.

She participated in the Spectrum's Got Talent, yearly talent showcase as often as she could, and never came across a song/group from the 60's, 70's or 80's that she didn't like - Michael Jackson, The Jackson 5, The Temptations, Ben E. King, and her favorite, Gladys Knight & The Pips.

Melissa was very funny with a great sense of humor and a magnificent memory for certain details. Having watched a lot of television, Melissa sang all the theme songs, knew the actor and character names, could recite favorite lines and was quick to correct you if you got it wrong.

She loved Family Matters, Different Strokes, Three's Company, The Brady Bunch, WWF Wrestling, Sanford & Son, The Jeffersons, Happy Days.. all the shows.

Melissa's favorite thing to watch was a televised adaptation of a stage play called Purlie, starring Robert Guillaume, Melba Moore, and Sherman Hemsley. She had the VHS recording and she wore that tape out.

Growing up Melissa had several nicknames, her brother called her Sprout, her father called her Munch, and her mother called her Missy or Miss Thang. She answered to all of them and smiled while doing so.

One of her favorite words was ambidextrous, and she loved saying it, and showing that she could write with both hands.

And did I mention she gave GREAT hugs?

She loved drawing and coloring, and doing both on the pages of her big brother's high school yearbook.

She loved eating, especially pizza, and Italian food. She'd fill her plate with food, and while it might take a little bit more time she would eventually clean everything on her plate, and sometimes clean yours too.

Melissa most loved, spending time with her family, both at home and at Spectrum. When out and about, Melissa spoke to everyone, and was quick to say to new people "this is my family, we're close".

She loved going to her favorite spots, Panera Bread, iHop,

Tenafly Classic Diner, just about any pizza shop, and Maywood Pancake House, where she usually ate gluten free pancakes and drank chocolate milk.

Melissa really lived her best life hanging out and having adventures; after which she also loved falling asleep in the car. Ask her if she was sleeping... she'd wake up and say, "No, I'm not".

That's our MJ, the embodiment of love, joy and perfectly timed one liners;

impacting the lives of everyone with whom she came in contact.

Melissa Joy Hutchinson, always remembered, never to be forgotten, and always in our hearts. We love You M.J.

Melissa is preceded in death by her mother Alma I. Hutchinson (2016) and is lovingly survived by her father, FitzRoy S. Hutchinson, her brother Mark C. Hutchinson and sister-in-law, Lauren Hutchinson.

In Lieu of Flowers For donations, individuals can visit: http://www.spectrumforliving.org/donate and please put, "In Memory of Melissa Hutchinson" in the memo field.