Charles Wayne Sutton

Charles Wayne Sutton went to bask in the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ on Saturday, February 10, 2018. He was born on August 3, 1932 in San Angelo, Texas to Walter Lee Sutton, Sr. and Letha Corine Hudson Sutton. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Neva; daughters, Vickie Spicer (husband, Don), and Scharlee Glenn (husband, Byron), and his son, Wayne (wife, Kim). Grandchildren include Seth Glenn, Emily Glenn Honea, Mandy Spicer Luckert, Preston Spicer, Jake Sutton, Jonah Sutton, and Jared Sutton, and 6 great- grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Walter Lee Sutton, Jr., and Robert Edwin Sutton.

Charles graduated from Midland High School, Midland, Texas, in 1951 and attended Baylor University on a cello scholarship. On June 5, 1955, he married his sweetheart, “Sweedart,” Neva Mae McMinn. He began his career as a licensed electrician in 1950 and held his license until 2002. He was owner-operator of Atlas Van Lines in Grand Junction, Colorado from 1962-1967. In 1967, he moved his family to Oklahoma City where he worked as sales manager for Stone Transfer & Storage. He opened Able Realty in 1969 and transitioned to Able, Inc. doing home inspections, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, electrical contracting and appliance repair which he ran for 20 years. In 2002, after a short retirement Charles began Able Equipment, a truck equipment manufacturing company, with his son where he designed and holds two patents.

Charles accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior when he was 7 years old and his entire life was shaped by that experience. Throughout life he experienced poverty and prosperity, yet he never put his hope in those worldly goods. Philippians 4:12-13 describe this aspect of his life. “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (KJV) Charles believed that spiritual training should not be “left to the church” and was involved in the spiritual growth of his family, beginning each day with family Scripture reading and prayer throughout his life (adamant that the King James Version was best for study). He was ordained a deacon in 1978 and served as an active deacon at Putnam City Baptist Church and Village Baptist Church. Beginning as a young adult, he was involved in teaching young men in Sunday school as well as individually mentoring many other young men. He was involved in Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief and traveled to Guatemala on their first foreign relief trip. He was active in Christian Business Men’s Committee in the 1970’s and was also involved in the tract ministry at Mayfair Baptist and Putnam City Baptist Church and included tracts in all of his business mailings.

A memorial celebration-reception will be held at 1:00 p.m., Friday, February 16th in the Quail Springs Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 2501 W. Memorial Rd., Oklahoma City. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief.