Bonita Sutton

Bonita was born on February 26, 1937, in Benoit, Mississippi, to Bob Sutton and Minnie Simpson. She spent much of her life as a dairy farmer in Oklahoma and Texas, a role that reflected her strong work ethic and deep connection to the land. She spent most of the 1960's helping build spacesuits for astronauts to protect them on their exploration of space. Later, she retired as a seamstress for Direct Mattress in Dallas, Texas, where her attention to detail and steady hands served her well.

Family was the center of Bonita’s world. She loved deeply and without limits, embracing a large and ever-growing family filled with grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews, and many others she lovingly “adopted” as her own. A caregiver at heart, she was always mindful of the needs of others, making sure no one went without. Her kitchen was a place of comfort and love—home-cooked meals were freely shared with family, friends, and anyone in need.

During her retirement years, Bonita found joy tending her vegetable garden; often preserving its harvest by making pickled vegetables, jellies, chow-chow, and other canned goods. She was also an avid hunter, especially enjoying deer season. When she wasn’t cooking, gardening, or hunting, she could often be found outdoors, soaking in nature. One of her favorite pastimes was camping under the stars, sharing stories and laughter late into the night.

Bonita was preceded in death by her life-partner, Elbert Sutton; husband, Charles Cliffton Newman, Sr.; her sons: Bob Edmond Cooper, Sr., Jimmy Allen Cooper, Sr., and Jerry Dale Newman; Stepchildren: Danny Sutton, and Alberta Sutton Chapman, her grandchildren: Jimmy Allen Cooper, Jr., and Regina Newman; and her siblings: Bob Sutton, Cynthia Sutton Simpson, Betty Jean Sutton Ellis, E.Y. Sutton Throne, and Lurene Sutton Ledbetter.

She is survived by her daughter, Gay Sutton Newman Williams; daughter-in-law, Shirley Cooper; her sons: Charles Clifford Newman, Jr., Greg (Aida) Newman, and Robert (Subrina) Sutton; daughter-in-laws: Judy Cooper and Debbie Cooper; stepchildren: Sandra Sutton Vandersteen, and Ron Sutton. She also leaves behind her cherished grandchildren: Tina (Casey) Martin, Bob Edmond Cooper, Jr., Todd (Jeff) Cooper-Dalton, Batania (Justin) Price, Candice (Andrew) Markel, Charles Clifford Newman III, Mary Ann Newman, Amanda Cooper, and Tiffany Cooper, John Hall, and David Hall, along with many great-grandchildren and several great-great-grandchildren, and many great-great-great-grandchildren, and a clan of nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 15, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m at Eubank Funeral Home in Canton, Texas.

Funeral services will take place on Friday, January 16, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Eubank Funeral Home in Canton, Texas.

All are welcome to attend and pay their final respects.

Bonita Sutton leaves behind a legacy of love, resilience, generosity, and family. Her memory will live on in the meals shared, the stories told, the gardens tended, and the countless lives she touched.