Barbara A Sutton

Barbara Ann Sutton died peacefully in her sleep in the early hours of March 26, 2022, after spending her last day with her children. She was 88 years old.

Barbara was born in Green Bay, WI to Robert C. and Mary (Plombon) Horn. The eldest of the couple’s three children, Barbara was a loving big sister to Bob and Mary, a voracious reader, and an excellent student. Her love for travel started early, and she spent her college summers exploring Europe. After earning a degree in journalism at Marquette University, she worked for the Green Bay Press-Gazette and later taught in local schools. While she was working as Guidance Director at St. Joseph’s Academy, Barbara won a Fulbright fellowship to teach overseas from the U.S. State Department. She left for what was then the colony of Northern Rhodesia in July 1961. Though she taught throughout the colony, Barbara’s favorite assignment was teaching English to high school girls at St. Mary’s Secondary School in Maramba, in what she always said was the best job of her life.

In late 1961, Barbara met Arthur Albert (“Bertie”) Sutton, a young British civil servant with the Ministry of Posts. They were engaged two weeks afterward, and they married at St. Theresa’s Cathedral in Livingstone in May 1962, near Victoria Falls. Barbara, Arthur, and their two young daughters left Zambia in the years after its independence in 1964 – finally settling in Arcadia, CA in 1968 – but they never forgot the beauty and humanity of the place that had brought them together.

Mom and Dad, Mikey and Katie’s wedding, late summer 1996.

Between 1965 and 1977, Barbara and Arthur had six children. While they lived in Arcadia, Barbara and Arthur both worked for local school districts – Barbara as a counselor at Mt. Olive High School in Duarte and later at Hacienda-La Puente, and Arthur in the independent study lab at Tri-Community Adult Education. Their children entered high school and college in the kind of environment that was home to friends as well as family. Year after year, Barbara and Arthur hosted epic Christmas gift exchanges, New Year’s Eve dance parties, and big, happy summer barbecues. Throughout their long marriage, they encouraged all their children to value education, love one another, and honor the dignity of everyone they met.

After her beloved Arthur died of heart disease in 2011, Barbara sold the family home and moved to Bellevue, WA to be closer to her children who had settled in the Seattle area. She moved into assisted living in 2018. While her health declined steadily, Barbara remained engaged, and she was always delighted to spend time with her children and grandchildren, enjoy ice cream, and read as often as she could.

Barbara was preceded in death by her devoted husband Arthur and her brother Bob Horn. She is survived by her sister, Mary Horn, sister-in-law Jean Horn, and her six children – Mary Sutton, Anne Broshar (Jim), Jane Sutton-Redner (Christopher), Michael Sutton (Katie), Paul Sutton (Kristi), and Ellen Greig (John). She is also survived by ten  grandchildren and two step-grandchildren: Ariel, Allie, Conor, Kyle, Sean, William, Jake, Maggie, Rocket, Abby, Oliver, and Jack. Barbara’s many extended family members and friends join us in mourning her loss and celebrating her life. Barbara’s family will hold a private memorial for her in summer 2022. In lieu of flowers, please send a donation in Barbara’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association.