Charles Sutton

1922 - 2017

Hon. Charles Zook F. Sutton

1922 to 2017

Charles Zook Fitzalan Sutton was born on April 26, 1922 to Charles Zook Sutton and Amy Requa Sutton. Like his father he went by the name Zook, and like his mother he attended Piedmont schools.

Zook enjoyed the game of tennis and spent many of his early years at the Berkeley Tennis Club. As he became good, he was invited to go on a tour of the Pacific Northwest with other young and promising California players. The oldest player was tennis legend Jack Kramer. He drove the Model A Roadster up to Victoria B.C. and back. As the youngest player Zook had to sit back in the rumble seat, exposed to the elements for the entire trip. Zook always wanted to be the driver after that.

Zook attended Stanford with the Class of '44. He was a member of Zeta Psi and lettered with the always formidable Stanford Tennis Team. During the War he served with the U.S. Navy's Naval Air Transport Service in the South Pacific. Returning, Zook attended Stanford Law School and graduated in 1949.

Zook then went to work for the Alameda County District Attorney's Office. There, as a Deputy District Attorney, he became associated with a stellar group of lawyers who would reach legal and political heights throughout California and the nation.

In 1952, on his 30th birthday, Zook married Anne Smith, the true love of his life. Together, they settled in Piedmont and happily raised four children.

Zook was elected to the Oakland Piedmont Municipal Court in 1964 and was then appointed to the Alameda County Superior Court in 1967. He retired from the bench in 1986 but continued to privately mediate cases for another ten years.

Zook always enjoyed Stanford athletics (although when three of his four children went to Cal, he could at times root for the Bears). He also followed the Raiders and A's. Even though a fan it was his decision to prevent the A's from setting off fireworks after every A's home run (and there were a lot of them then) so the residents of East Oakland could get some sleep.

Zook was a past president of the Alameda County Lawyers Club and a longtime trustee of both the Northern California Masonic Scholarship Foundation and Mountain View Cemetery.

Zook liked playing tennis and golf and was a member of Claremont Country Club, where he enjoyed many friendships. He also liked spending time with friends and family at Stinson Beach and at Glenbrook on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe.

Zook passed away peacefully in his Piedmont home on April 11, 2017. The family would like to thank Mele, Laukau and Pou Lasike for their loving care of Zook at the end of his life.

Zook was preceded by his beloved wife, Anne, and by his wonderful sister, Cherie Sutton Pettit. Zook is survived by his four children: Garrett Zook (Jenny) of Reno, Amy Requa Puccinelli (Mike) of Dallas, the Reverend John Davies (Liz) of Albany and Mary Fitzalan Pinkus (Gary) of Woodside. He is also survived by ten grandchildren, and four great grand kids.

Zook will be remembered as a calm, fair and reasonable man. While the term 'sober as a judge' certainly applied, he will also be remembered for the happiness he shared with his dearest Annie over an Old Fashioned in the evening.

A celebration of Zook's life will be held at St. Anselm's Church in Lafayette at a future date. Any memorials may be directed to the benefit of St. Anselm's Church.