Nancy Ewing Sutton

On Sept. 21, 2014, Nancy Ewing Sutton passed away in San Angelo and joined her Lord. She was 95 years of age. Graveside services conducted by Rev. Bill Proctor of the First Presbyterian Church will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, 2012, in Fairmount Cemetery with arrangements by Johnson Funeral Home. Honorary pallbearers for the service will be Jimi Webb of Rosenberg, Texas, David Anderson of Austin, Texas, Daryle and Cindy McGinnis of Bedford, Texas, Melba Cox of San Angelo, Texas and Steve Stephens of San Angelo, Texas. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to First Presbyterian Church, the San Angelo Area Foundation, Meals For The Elderly, or to a

charity of one's choice

. Nancy was born on June 13, 1919, in San Benito, Texas to Joshua Fulkerson Ewing and Bula Betty Baugh Ewing. During her youth Nancy attended school in her home town of Donna, Texas and spent her summers in Schleicher County on the ranch owned by her grandparents, George and Laura Baugh. Nancy graduated from high school in 1935, and attended junior college before her family moved to Austin in 1936, so she and her siblings could attend the University of Texas. While attending the University, Nancy was a member of Alpha Phi Sorority and belonged to the Reagan Literary Society. In her collegiate years Nancy was known as a serious yet vivacious student. Nancy had a sweet yet a strong and confident personality. In 1938, at a time when law firms were not hiring women lawyers, she enrolled in the University of Texas School of Law. She was one of only four women in the entering class of 200 students. In 1941, Nancy graduated from the Texas School of Law where she was elected Permanent Class Secretary. On June 1, 1940, while a senior law student, she married John F. Sutton Jr., her fellow law student. Nancy and John had been married 72 years when John passed away last year. While her husband served with the FBI during World War II she worked in the Trust Department of the Garard Trust Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and later in the tax department of the Trojan Powder Company in Allentown, Pennsylvania. After the war, she and her husband moved to San Antonio where her daughter, Nancy Joan (Joannie) Sutton was born in 1946. Nancy and her husband moved to San Angelo in 1947, where she became the first woman to practice law in San Angelo. She practiced with her husband, John F. Sutton Jr. and her father-in-law, retired District Judge, John F. Sutton. Then her son, John Ewing Sutton was born in 1950. While living in San Angelo, Nancy was a charter member and later President of the San Angelo Woman's Club (later known as the San Angelo Junior League). She served as a Deacon in the First Presbyterian Church. She also participated in Planned Parenthood and many other civic groups and activities. In 1957, the Sutton family moved to Austin when her husband was appointed a Professor of Law at the University of Texas School of Law. Nancy served on the Board of Gardner House (a children's home in Austin), was active in the Austin Junior League, the University Presbyterian Church, and other civic organizations. Later Nancy worked in the Regional Service Center of the Internal Revenue Service, as Chief Deputy Clerk in the Legislative Enrolling Room, as an attorney in the Office of Legislative Counsel, as Deputy General Counsel for the Office of Texas Land Commissioner, and finally as an Assistant Attorney General assigned to the Opinions Committee of the Texas Attorney General where she retired in 1986. At the time of her retirement, her husband had retired as Dean and was serving as a part-time professor at the Texas Law School so they reestablished San Angelo as their permanent home although they continued to maintain part-time residences in Austin and in Sugar Land, Texas through 2010. Nancy continued to be very active in the First Presbyterian Church in San Angelo and with Meals on Wheels (now known as Meals For The Elderly) until her health no longer allowed her to do so. Throughout her life she was loved by everyone who knew her and she was always appreciated for her warmth, compassion, generosity, and desire to give assistance to those who needed help. Nancy enjoyed travelling to other countries. In addition to normal travel destinations in Canada, Mexico, and Europe, she visited other places including Turkey, Argentina, Senegal, Morocca, Algeria, and Medeira. The apex of her travels was her participation in July, 1971, in London in the Lord Chancellor's Reception in the Palace of Westminster, where she visited briefly with the Lord Chancellor, and her participation in an afternoon party in the Garden of Buckingham Palace. Nancy was preceded in death by her husband, John F. Sutton Jr.; by her brothers, Joshua F. Ewing and Benjamin Ewing; and her sister, Betty Ewing Edburg. Nancy is survived by her daughter, Nancy Joan Sutton Parr and her husband, Dr. Thomas Parr of Sugar Land, Texas and by her son, Judge John E. Sutton and his wife, Judy Harris Sutton of San Angelo, Texas. She is survived by four grandchildren, Robert Parr and wife Michelle Parr of Little Rock, Arkansas, Stephen Parr and wife, Wendy Parr of Shreveport, Louisiana, Brandon Ducote and wife, Kathy Ducote of Wimberly, Texas and Joshua Ewing Sutton and wife, Eduarda Sutton of Houston, Texas. She is survived by eight great-grandchildren, Bailey Parr and Julia Parr of Shreveport, Louisiana, Christopher James Parr of Little Rock, Arkansas, Justin Ducote and Savannah Ducote of Wimberly, Texas and Alma Maria Sutton, John Michael Sutton and Louis Gabriel Sutton of Houston, Texas. She is also survived by her dear sister-in-law, Dorothy Bays Galgowski of Middletown, Connecticut; and numerous nieces and nephews. The family would like to give thanks to Regency House and to the Hospice workers for their devoted care to Nancy. The family would like to give special thanks to Anita Salinas for her many years of loving and devoted care and assistance to Nancy and John Sutton. Nancy has now moved on to her home with Christ and the Lord. She will be missed and loved by all who knew her. Family and friends may sign an online register book at www.johnsons-funeralhome.com.