Charles E. ‘Shep’ Sutton

Charles Edward “Shep” Sutton, 88, a resident of Harrisonburg, and formerly of Pocahontas County, W.Va., passed away on Jan. 1, 2013.

He was born in Charleston, W.Va., on Feb. 23, 1924, and was a son of the late Harry Burdette and Roxalena Pauley Sutton.

Shep graduated from Elkview High School in 1942. He served in the Naval Air Force as a radioman/gunner combat air crewman during World War II. He graduated from Capital Radio Engineering Institute in Washington, D.C., after the war. He worked in the U.S. State Department Foreign Service, partly as a Foreign Service staff officer in Hong Kong, Manila, and Central and South America. In 1964, he began employment at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, W.Va., as a technical specialist in radio astronomy, where he retired. Mr. Sutton was the chairman of the Pocahontas County library board for four years and was the founder of the Rockingham Senior Players of Broadway. In 2012, his memoir, “They Call Me Shep” was published. He was also a lifetime member of the Harrisonburg VFW Post No. 632.

On Sept. 1, 1949, he married his loving wife, Martha Bias Sutton, who survives. Also surviving are a son, Greggory T. Sutton of Reedsville, W.Va.; a sister, Mary Reynolds of Newport, Va.; a brother, John Sutton of London, Ky.; three grandchildren, Casey, Emily and Jason; one great-grandson, Karson; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013, at Detwiler Auditorium at VMRC. Private interment will be in Southwest Virginia Veteran’s Cemetery in Dublin, Va.

Memorial contributions may be sent to Harrisonburg Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 1477, Harrisonburg, VA 22803.

Lindsey Funeral Homes and Crematory is handling arrangements and online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.lindseyharrisonburg.com.