GEORGE RAYMOND SUTTON

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GEORGE RAYMOND SUTTON George Raymond Sutton, died peacefully in his elder daughter's home in Halifax, NS on June 9, 2006. Born in Toronto in Feb 20, 1924 to Joseph Augustus Sutton of Moncton, NB and Mary Evelyn Doherty of Memramcook, NB, Ray decided to move with his family to Winnipeg in November 1925 where he attended St. Ignatius and St. Paul's schools. Ray served in the navy during the Second World War (1942 - 1945), first on a destroyer and then on landing craft in combined operations. After the war he worked in a northern Ontario gold mine before returning home and joining the CNR. In 1967, Ray and his family transferred to Moncton, NB, where they enjoyed calling the Maritimes home until 1975. When a job opened in Gimli at the CN's main training center, Ray returned to Manitoba as a Rules Instructor, a position he described as the best job of my life . Ray's willingness to focus on the goodness of others and his solid work experience resulted in him becoming a popular teacher until his retirement in 1989. His laughter often had the effect of being a beacon to find him in a crowded room. The move to Gimli was a positive one in many ways, not least of which he grew to love the community and considered it his adopted home. He made many great friends, in particular, Emile and Nellie Graboweski, Mike and Esther Cherniak, Father Art Seaman, Dr. R.C. and Shakuntala Patel, and too many others to mention. Ray liked to say that as a boy and young man he avoided all attempts of his parents and priests to educate him, but the one thing they were successful providing him with was a strong faith, and he tried to live his life by his faith. It was no surprise to those who knew him that Ray was ordained a deacon in the Roman Catholic Church in 1978. Through his ministry in the church, the community and the Legion, Ray met people from all walks of life and different faiths, and his senior years were much richer as a result. To know Ray also meant that one knew of his unconditional love and pride of all his children and their spouses, grandchildren, and numerous nephews and nieces. He will be dearly missed by his brother, Paul Sutton of Winnipeg; children, Joe (Jennifer MacLeod, Moncton), Evelyn (Robert MacDonald, Halifax), Elizabeth (Ralph VanWerkhoven, Lethbridge), John (Mara Cocklin, London, ON); and his grandchildren, Megan and Becky Sutton, Emma McMullen (Moncton), James and Ellen MacDonald (Halifax), Paul and Melanie VanWerkhoven (Lethbridge), Emma, Laura and Brendan Sutton (London). His wife Mary Coyle, parents and brothers, Jack, Ned and Joe, predeceased him. Prayers will be on Tuesday, June 13, at 7:00 pm in the St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church, Gimli. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 14, also in the Church. Charitable donations in Ray's memory may be made to The Canadian Cancer Society, Manitoba Arthritis Society, Gardener Medical Research Trust Fund QEII Foundation, Halifax, or charity of choice. Special thanks to palliative care nurse Susan Parrott, Dr. David Dupere and Dr. R.C. Patel. Gilbart Funeral Home, Gimli in care of arrangements.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 12, 2006