Amy Marie Hutka (nee Lashbrook)

age 47, of Portage IN, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving husband and family on Friday, July 26, 2024.

Amy was raised in Valparaiso, IN and graduated from Valparaiso High School in 1995. She went on to Indiana University South Bend and earned her degree in Dental Hygiene. Amy enjoyed working with her co-worker friends and patients. She took pride in her work and was outstanding in her chosen profession, which she remained in for over two decades. Amy was always encouraging, positive and liked to make others laugh with her dry, subtle and witty sense of humor.

Amy was a loving and devoted wife. She, and her husband of 14 years, Max, loved boating and fishing at their lake house, as well as playing card games, attending baseball games and other sporting events, and spending time with family. They looked forward to taking regular vacations in warm places and tropical beaches. From Aruba to Caribbean cruises to Disney World, Amy accrued many beautiful photo albums chronicling a life fully lived with love and laughter.

Amy found solitude in gardening, biking, listening to music, nature, and enjoying the variety of birds that visited her home in rural Indiana. She also found comfort and care with her pet dogs and cats, whose varying personalities reflected her nature of being accepting of others and also protective and loyal to those she loved.

Amy also epitomized what it means to be an extraordinary sister. She was supportive, reliable, dedicated, caring and we will always remember her bright smile and kind soul. The strong bond with her two sisters was unbreakable and clearly on display whenever the girls got together through storytelling and joking around, but also constant mutual support. They shared seemingly endless happy memories from childhood while also continuing to compile them into adulthood through family vacations, regular weekend visits, holiday gatherings and frequent phone calls.

Amy was already a one-time cancer survivor beating Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 2004. She supported the cancer community by participating in fundraisers to help with cancer research as a bona fide cancer survivor. Unfortunately, last year she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. She handled the aggressive treatment with immense strength and fearlessness. Her determination to beat cancer a second time was remarkable. She never complained or bemoaned her unfair fate once. She simply did what Amy would do and quietly faced the onerous situation with courage and resolution.

Amy dutifully fulfilled many roles in life–earnest student, faithful friend, dedicated employee–but shined most in her various familial roles as a loving daughter, sister, niece, cousin, in-law and more. She was also an amazing aunt to 14 nieces and nephews. She especially loved taking them to baseball and hockey games.

Amy lived a full and wholesome life despite some of the health challenges she combatted. She had the innate ability to do the 'next right thing' in any given situation, and as a result she walked through life with much grace and dignity. While she may have walked softly during her time on this earth she still managed to leave a huge imprint. Through battling and defeating cancer twice over the course of 20 years, Amy was truly the living embodiment of her favorite 80s TV song –"The Greatest American Hero". We miss Amy dearly.

A Memorial Visitation will be held from 10:00-11:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 3, 2024 at Solan-Pruzin Funeral Home, 14 Kennedy Ave. Schererville, IN.  A Service Celebrating Amy's Life will be held at 11:30 a.m. with Joe Montoro officiating. Services conclude at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Amy's name to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at give.LLS.org.