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Obituary for Helen Marie Sutton
Helen Marie Sutton of Brighton died on August 15, 2019 surrounded by her loving family at the age of 96.
Although born in Have ‘d Grace, Maryland, Helen Marie Griffith Sutton spent her life as a Michigander. Born on July 20, 1923, Helen grew up in Detroit with her older brother, Bill and younger brother, Freddy. Growing up during the Depression was not easy. Since her father was an unreliable breadwinner, her mother held two jobs to keep the family together.
After graduating from Northern High School in Detroit, Helen worked in an office at General Motors. A big part of her social life centered around Martha Holmes Methodist Church, where she met Fred Sutton. They became engaged and the couple married when he returned from WWII. In 1947 their daughter Gayle was born. They soon moved from Detroit to the suburb of Berkley, Michigan where in 1951, their second daughter, Valerie was born.
In 1972 Fred’s job with Ford Motor Company took them to Paris, France, where they lived for almost a year. Fred’s ill health brought them back home and led to his retirement in 1975. They moved north to the community of Canadian Lakes in Mecosta, Michigan, which was their home for the next 30+ years. They enjoyed playing golf, their pontoon boat and entertaining family and friends in their home. During that time Helen was a partner in a resale shop in Remus, Michigan. She enjoyed the activity of the store and meeting new people.
Fred passed away in 1992, but Helen remained up north. A severe back injury in 2008 precipitated her move to Independence Village here in Brighton to be closer to her family.
Helen’s limited vision prevented her from enjoying her favorite pastimes of reading and doing crossword puzzles. But she remained positive and optimistic. All who knew her will remember her smile, her care for others, her optimistic outlook on life and her love of family.
Helen is survived by her daughters, Gayle (Jim) Weakland and Val (Hal) Potts; grandchildren, Heather (Brian) Montalbano, Betsy Weakland and Jimmy (Stephanie) Weakland; and great grandchildren, Ava Montalbano, Elliott Marshall and James Weakland IV.
