George Clinton Sutton, known first as "Kayo" then later as "Sam" to family and friends, died Wednesday June 28, 2017 of complications from dementia.

Sam was born in LaHarpe, Illinois on December 5, 1934 to Cecil W. Sutton and Viola R. (Helmers) Sutton. He married Marsha Sue Raley with whom he had four children.   Following Marsha's death in 2001, he married Carol (Chance) Baker.

Sam is survived by two daughters, Robin of Elkhart, Indiana and Katie (Jeff) of Albuquerque, New Mexico; two sons, Scott (Angie) of Carmel, Indiana and Samuel Eric of Ruskin, Florida; five grandchildren (Ben, Nick, Alex, Orion and Callista) and two great grandchildren (Elijah and Lucy), and the entire Baker family which adopted him as one of their own.

Sam was a 1952 graduate of LaHarpe High School. He served in the US Navy on the USS Mount McKinley during the Korean conflict. He received a bachelor degree in Education from Western Illinois and Masters from Montevallo University. Mr. Sutton taught drivers education and coached at King and Leto High Schools in Tampa, Florida, from 1967 until 1997. After retirement, Sam lived in Elkhart, Indiana and then later moved to Brunswick, Missouri.

During High School, Sam lettered in football, basketball and track. In his tenure as a high school coach for Leto, he won four state championships in track and created the Nash Higgins Relays, now in its 47 ^th consecutive year. He had a lifelong passion with golf, scoring a hole in one on the 10 ^th hole of Old Orchard, Elkhart, Indiana.   Sam was a longtime fan of Notre Dame football, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Chicago Cubs.

Sam was a member of Temple Terrace United Methodist Church, Tampa, Florida, Faith United Methodist Church, Elkhart, Indiana, and attended First Christian Church of Brunswick, Missouri.

The family will receive friends from 9 - 11 am Wednesday, July 5th at Banks and Beals Funeral Home in LaHarpe, Illinois followed by a Graveside service, with military rites, at 11:00 am in the LaHarpe Cemetery with Lee Unger officiating. A lunch will be served after the graveside. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established for the American Cancer Society, donations can be mailed to the: George Sutton Memorial Fund, C/O Banks & Beals Funeral Home, PO Box 503, LaHarpe, IL 61450, or click the link below, and enter "George Sutton:"

https://donate3.cancer.org/?lang=en .