Fountain View Village, a retirement community in Fountain Hills, recently hosted a special event celebrating the lives of two of its residents, Hutch and Jo Davis.

The event was called the, “90-70-90 Celebration,” as it honored Hutch’s and Jo’s 90th birthdays and their 70th wedding anniversary, a celebration attended by 90 of their friends and family.

Fountain View Village Director of Sales and Marketing LuAnn Oburn sat down with Hutch and Jo to get to know them better and ask them a few questions.

“Theirs is a love affair for the ages,” Oburn said of Hutch and Jo, who met in the sixth and seventh grades at Creighton School of Phoenix. They attended the historic First Presbyterian Church in downtown Phoenix, where their friendship blossomed.

“As soon as Hutch got his driver’s license, he asked Jo for a date, and the rest is history,” Oburn said. “Their married life began in 1953, earlier than they originally planned, because, after Hutch went off to the University of Arizona for one semester, they realized that time away from one another was just not an option.”

Hutch’s and Jo’s mantra is “our kids are our most important product,” describing their five highly-accomplished children, including an artist, geologist, engineer, biochemist and nursing supervisor.

Hutch and Jo taught their children the importance of living a noteworthy life. Hutch spent his career as a mechanical engineer, working around the country in senior-level marketing and sales positions in the electric power industry.

Jo was an accomplished violinist, taking lessons in earnest at the age of 11 and played in the Phoenix Symphony from 1949 to 1951.

Jo also taught violin and has some gifted students to show for her work. Weaving is another passion of hers and her art adorns the walls of their home.

If raising a family and their life work weren’t enough, they felt that involvement in their community was vital, Oburn says, which is why they have so many lifelong friends who attended their celebration.

Hutch and Jo are both avid hikers and made time to appreciate their shared love of the desert.

“Jo’s mother was one of the first residents of Fountain View Village when our Assisted Living neighborhood opened and was with us from 1999 to 2005,” Oburn said. “Hutch and Jo look at their move to Fountain View as their ‘finishing school.’

“We are honored and blessed to have Hutch and Jo Davis as part of our Fountain View Village family, a very humble and most gifted couple.”