SANDPOINT — The community will gather Friday to say goodbye — and celebrate — longtime peace officer and police chief Mike Hutter who died Oct. 16 while being treated for health-related issues.

A celebration of life for Michael “Mike” Christopher Hutter, 63, will be held at 5:30 p.m. today at The Hive, 207 N. First Ave.

“Many of us go through life wondering if we’ve made a difference in the world around us,” Sandpoint Police Chief Corey Coon said. “We measure success in titles, accomplishments or years served, but the true measure of a life well lived is often found in the quiet moments — in the people we’ve helped, the kindness we’ve shown and the hearts we’ve touched.”

Hutter began his law enforcement career in 1987 as a reserve deputy for the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office before being hired full time by the department a year later. He transferred to the Sandpoint Police Department, where he worked for seven years before joining the Ponderay Police Department in 1997. He served as police chief until retiring in 2016.

Six days later, Hutter rejoined the Sandpoint Police Department, working in a variety of roles, including patrol and motorcycle officer. At the time of his death, he was a corporal with the department.

Since Hutter’s passing, Coon said there hasn’t been a day when someone hasn’t stopped to share a story about how the longtime officer made a difference in their lives and in the community.

“Friends, colleagues and community members have spoken about the ways he offered a helping hand, a word of encouragement, a good laugh or even a shoulder to lean on in difficult times,” Coon said. “These memories, shared with warmth and gratitude, reveal the depth of his impact on those around him.”

In his 40 years of service as a peace officer, Coon said Hutter’s career was marked not only by his professionalism and leadership but also by his compassion for the people he served. Whether training young officers on the shooting range, responding to a call or simply visiting with those he served, Hutter brought patience, humility and heart to it all.

“Those who worked alongside him often describe him as a steady presence and someone who led by example rather than by demand,” Coon said. “He believed in fairness, in doing what was right even when it was difficult and in treating every person with dignity. To many, he was just a police officer; however, to me, he was a mentor, a friend and a pillar of integrity in our community.”

Outside of his badge, Hutter was known for his humor, his love for the outdoors and his dedication to family and friends.

“Mike was the kind of person who could make you laugh when you needed it most, who showed up when it mattered and who never stopped caring about the people around him,” Coon said.

Today’s celebration offers a chance for friends, family and the community to honor Hutter, sharing their stories, laughter and memories — to remember a man who gave so much of himself in service to others, Coon said.

Stories such as the time Hutter responded to an early morning call in September 1992. It was about 3:30 a.m. when a Hickory Street couple reported a skunk was in their yard with its head stuck in a salad dressing jar.

While his first inclination was to call Idaho Fish and Game, Hutter decided to take a shot at freeing the animal after noticing the pair hadn’t been sprayed.

When the incident made the newspaper, Hutter said he was hesitant about getting too close, adding that he wasn’t sure if he was “brave enough to grab a jar off a skunk’s head.”

But noticing the skunk hitting the jar on rocks and worried it was having trouble breathing, Hutter finally made a move. Seeing that the skunk had gotten the jar stuck between the back and seat of a low-sprawling lawn chair, he tugged on the jar as the skunk pulled the other way.

“The jar popped off and I dropped it and ran,” Hutter told the Bonner County Daily Bee at the time, adding that the skunk waddled off without showing its unhappiness about having been stuck.

“I think it was just happy to get the jar off its head,” Hutter said.

The community is invited to join local law enforcement in remembering Hutter, whom Coon described as a leader, a protector and, most of all, a friend.

“Bring a story to tell, a memory to share or simply your presence to help us celebrate a life that made a lasting difference in the hearts of so many,” Coon said.

    Mike Hutter is pictured standing next to a patrol vehicle early in his career.
  

    Mike Hutter is pictured as a young teen in this undated photo shared by his family and the Sandpoint Police Department.
  

    Mike Hutter is pictured in his officials Sandpoint Police Department photo.
  

    Mike Hutter is pictured in this Aug. 22, 1995, photo of the longtime officer showing off the Sandpoint Police Department's new-at-the-time patrol car.