From Pat Sutton

SUTTON-Patricia S. Sutton, was born May 4, 1928, in Ypsilanti, Michigan, to Ralph and Grace Smallidge, and died peacefully at home in Pasadena, on February 2, 2009, at 80 years from compl ications due to kidney failure. Patricia graduated from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in 1951 with a degree in psychology, where she met her former husband Dr. Frank Sutton, now of Leucadia, California. In 1952, they were married at the Episcopal Church in Ann Arbor, and moved to the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, where Frank practiced medicine for three decades. In the 1950’s and 1960’s they lived in Pasadena where Patricia was active at Neighborhood Unitarian-Univeralist Church, then on California Boulevard, serving in its religious education program, and she was a delegate to the 1961 conference which merged Unitarian and Universalist movements. In 1958, Patricia helped found Sequoyah School, still located at the former Neighborhood Church site. While she raised her four children, she also was active in Pasadena election campaigns and in the Democratic Party. In 1969, Patricia obtained her Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California, and during the 1970’s and early 1980’s she worked in Psychiatric Emergency for the County of Los Angeles at Olive View Medicial Center and West Valley Receiving Hospital. Patricia and Frank were divorced in 1972. In 1977, Patricia met her life partner, Sherlyn Stafford, and they shared a home and were together when Patricia died. In the 1980’s Patricia started her private practice as a licensed psychiatric social worker, helping hundreds of individuals and families until 2005. Patricia contributed to many social service organiza tions and spent many restful vacations at her second home in Laguna Beach. She enjoyed history, and her 1976 tour of Egypt was a highlight of her life. Patricia is survived by her life partner of over 30 years, Sherlyn Stafford, her former husband Frank, and her children Christopher Sutton and Dr. Patrick Sutton of Pasadena, Elizabeth Sutton Hoffman of Santa Ana, and Mary Jo Sutton of Oakland. Her seven grandchildren include: Hanami Sutton of Brooklyn, New York, Maira Sutton, a student at U.C. Santa Cruz , Andrew Sutton, a student at St. John’s College, Anapolis, Maryland, Geoffrey Sutton, a student at Redlands University, and Alexander Hoffman, Nicholas Hoffman, and Carolyn Hoffman of Santa Ana. Patricia may be remembered by donations to the Democratic National Committee or the California Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. No flowers please. A service to celebrate the life of Patricia Sutton will be held in the Ross Chapel at the Neighborhood Unitarian-Unversalist Church at 301 N. Orange Grove Boulevard, i n Pasadena, on Saturday, February 21, 2009, commencing at 11:00 a.m. A reception will follow.
Published in Pasadena Star-News on Feb. 15, 2009.