L. Don Sutton ~ Obituary

Paris native L. Don Sutton Sr., 77, of Collierville died Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010, at Saint Francis Hospital in Memphis.

His wife of 58 years, Jean Fite Sutton, survives.

His funeral will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Memorial Park Funeral Home in Memphis. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery.

Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. today.

Sutton was son of the late Benjamin Franklin Sutton and Anna Myrtle Caldwell Sutton.

He attended Grove High School, where he played football, baseball, basketball and was a member of the track team. He was a member of Community of Christ Church, where he began serving the Lord at age 14 in local, regional and World Church offices, sharing the love and teachings of Christ.

Sutton worked for nine years with Southern Railway in Memphis, Cincinnati and Detroit. He worked for three years as vice president with First U.S. Corp. in Memphis and was president and chief executive officer of Financial Consultants of America from 1964-2010.

He served with Boy and Girl Scouts of America, was commissioner of the Memphis-Shelby County Planning Commission, member of Directors for Court Appointed Special Advocate-Memphis board of directors and chairman of the board of directors for Benchmark Young Adults Inc. in Redlands, Calif.

Sutton played semi-pro baseball in Aberdeen, Miss., many years of adult sports in the Memphis Park Commission and officiated football, basketball, baseball, track and volleyball at local school systems, colleges and on international levels.

He received the TSSAA (Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association) Distinguished Service Recognition in 1998; A.F. Bridges Excellence Award in 2000; the GYAA Service Recognition for 35 years of service in 2008; and was inducted in to the Memphis Amateur Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

Besides his wife, he leaves four children: Larry (Pam) Sutton Jr. of Olive Branch, Miss., Randy (Debbie) Sutton of Loveland, Colo., and Brad (Mary) Sutton and Pamela (John) Hughes, both of Collierville; two sisters: Carol (Bill) Lane of San Diego and Juanita (Ray) Miller of Independence, Mo.;

Three sisters-in-law: Cathy Sutton of Cantonement, Fla., Doris Crain of Tucson, Ariz., and Jane (Robert) Williams of Memphis; one brother-in-law: Charles (JoAnn) Fite of Olive Branch; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Memorials may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice or Community of Christ Church Peace Chapel, 3548 Brunswick Road, Bartlett 38033.

Reprinted from the Paris Post Intelligencer
Paris, Tennessee
February 9, 2010 Edition