Roy Clifton Sutton III

As I reflect back some 45 years on our good friend my heart may be sad but my memories are filled with such joy.just to have had the opportunity to know and befriend Roy. We all knew that Roy had the gift of being a genius but that wasn't what made him so important or endearing to all of us. For meit was his door. It was always open. Whatever was going on in his world would stop whenever you walked through his door. He was always there with a great story to make you laugh or a few riffs on his beloved Martin to cheer you up. Whether it was current events or physics he always had an opinion or a different way of approaching the topic that either made you scratch your head or shake it while grinning ear to ear. Either way you always went back to your dorm room smiling and looking forward to the next time you would get together. While a lot of my four years in engineering is a blurmy impromptu chats with Roy gave me cherished memories that will always stay with me.
Roy was an inspiration to me and the rest of us at Tech. He was a blessing and I trust that he rests peacefully in God's hands.

Sometimes in this life, you meet a special person, and you just know that you will be friends forever. This happened to me in the fall of my freshman year at Virginia Tech, when a mutual friend introduced me to Roy, who was a senior. I am both privileged and humbled that he called me "friend" for 43 years. In Roy, I found the big brother that I always wanted, but never had. Roy was brilliant, and never seemed to need to study, and somehow had plenty of time to do "fun" things, such as attending a Doobie Brothers concert, tossing a baseball around outside the dorm, or spending the day before taking his MCATs with me at Lakeside Amusement Park. He later said that he was so tired from running around the Park all day that he slept really well that night, and obviously aced the exam, and got into med school. When I was pledging my sorority, he bought me a stuffed animal in Phi Mu colors. He wrote me a poem when I received the sad news from home that my dog had died, and he tutored me in both Chemistry and Genetics, because unlike Roy, I had to study! His decision to attend grad school at Tech meant that he was there to volunteer to take me to my Ring Dance when I didn't have a date, and he bought me my first corsage for that event. No one was happier for Roy that I when he got his MD, met and married Sherry, and started a family. I though he truly had it all. Roy never flaunted his gift of great intelligence, he just used it all his life to help others. Roy was kind and caring, loving and generous, brilliant but humble, and a real Southern gentleman. I hope that he knew how much he meant, not only to me, but to all of his Hokie buddies, because we could not have asked for a finer friend. May God rest you, Roy, you truly were one of a kind, and we will never forget you.

I had been away on an extended trip to Canada and only learned of Roys passing after I returned. I knew Roy back in my college days when we near each other in the dorm and later as roommates in an apartment shared with Mike Hochella. The picture entered here for Roy is exactly as I remember him. It made me think back on those days. I recall that of all the people I ever met in my life that Roy was the only person I believed to be an absolute genius. He had a down to earth demeanor and a heart of gold. I remember especially his great wit. I'll never forget how he lampooned the Claudine Longet/Jean Claude Killy murder story saying "Claudine Longet accidentally shot Jean Claude Killy in the back 17 times." just like he was a tv reporter. And at the end of his thesis period he didn't have time time to get the final draft(which was quite late) to his advisor(a person he was hoping to avoid at the time). So he asked me to deliver it. When I handed it to the advisor, The man said "you know most professors take a dim view of...." and at that moment realizing how Roy felt I came to his defense cutting him off to say "Most professors take a dim view of everything" And with that I walked out the door. Roy couldn't get over that story and fell over laughing. And it was that Roy Sutton laugh that you'd never forget! Ah the fond memories. My condolences to you Sherry and your family. I'm so sorry for your loss. And although its be many years since I've seen Roy I want you to know that I feel your loss as well.

Kindest Regards
David Coogan

October 27, 2017 We were saddened when we learned of Roy passing away. Please accept our deepest condolences for your family's loss, and may peace and comfort help you thru this difficult time. Sincerely, HELEN BENHAM MASTERS, FRED G. BENHAM III