My husband Howard Hutchings, who has died aged 64 of pneumonia after suffering from pancreatic cancer, was a lover of the countryside, an environmentalist and a supporter of vulnerable people. For most of his working life he was a teacher, but he also spent much time as a volunteer in various capacities.
He was born in Birkenhead, Wirral, along with his twin, Bill. Their mother, Eleanor (nee Keating) died when the boys were two, and their father, Albert Evans, a heavy goods vehicle driver, was often away. They were looked after at first by relatives and their older sister Lesley, but at the age of eight Howard took over the running of the house.
Between 1965 and 1970 he attended Prenton secondary school, where he became head boy, and Rock Ferry high school from 1970 until 1972. After leaving school he worked as a warden for the Youth Hostel Association in the Lake District and as a countryside ranger in Cheshire.
In 1975 he went to Bingley College of Education to train as a teacher, and in 1978 he moved to Wolverhampton to take a post at Codsall Middle school, where he spent most of his career, teaching across the curriculum. He also volunteered to help homeless people at the Good Shepherd Centre, a Christian charity.
In 1994 Howard and I met on holiday in Egypt. We married the following year and he took my surname. We moved to Shrewsbury in 2000 and he helped out at a night shelter in the town. He then went on to volunteer at the Shrewsbury Ark, a drop-in centre for homeless and vulnerable people. He joined the trustees of the Ark and then became chair, a post he held until the day before his death.
Howard retired from teaching in 2008 and spent more of his time doing charitable and community work. He was part of the Eco Congregation group at Shrewsbury United Reformed Church which gained several awards. He chaired the ecumenical green group in the town, designed to promote environmental issues and encourage other churches to look at ecological matters. He also was part of the town’s interfaith group.
He visited schools to give talks during Fair Trade fortnight and volunteered for Shropshire Wildlife Trust. He was a governor at St Giles primary school, where he also gave assemblies and joined the staff on residential holidays.
In 2015 he walked from London to Paris with Pilgrimage2Paris, a Christian group. They arrived for the UN climate change conference to campaign for an ambitious deal.
Howard is survived by me, by our daughters, Ellie and Izzy, and by Bill and Lesley.
