Bessie Sutton, of Sykesville, Maryland, passed away Wednesday, June 20, 2018.
Born November 24, 1937, in Durbin, she was a daughter of the late A. C. and Monna Bennett Simmons.
After graduating from Green Bank High School in 1955, Bessie worked in the Washington, D.C., area in a secretarial position for the FBI. She then went on to work at Glenn L. Martin in the Essex area of Baltimore, Maryland, before marrying Ivan Sutton of Arbovale in 1958.
Bessie and Ivan lived in Morgantown, where she worked as a dental assistant. They moved to Howard County, Maryland, in 1960, when Ivan accepted a teaching position at Glenelg High School and they have lived in the area ever since. She was a long time member of St. James United Methodist Church in Marriottsville, Maryland, joining the church in 1966.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sisters, and brothers-in-law, Marie Nottingham, and husband, Lester, and Shirley Morgan, and husband, Homer; brother, James Simmons; sisters-in-law, Naomi Hoyet, and husband, Gene, Clara Smith, and husband, Norman, Julie Sutton, and husband, William; and brother-in- law, Peter Guire.
In addition to her husband of 60 years, she is survived by two daughters, Vivienne McGinnis, and husband, Bill, and Susan Day, and husband, Mickey; three grandchildren, Amber McGinnis, Bridgett McGinnis and Russell McGinnis, and girlfriend, Michaela Myrick-Whittaker; great-grandson, Isaac William Myrick-McGinnis; brother, Ralph Simmons, and wife, JoAnn, of Madison, Ohio, and sisters-in-law, Imogene Simmons, of Fairport Harbor, Ohio, and, Alice Guire, of Norton; brothers-in-law, William Sutton, of Hayden, Colorado, and James Sutton, and wife, Marge, of Elkton, Maryland. She is also survived by her life-long friend, Joyce Dill, of Providence Forge, Virginia. Bessie knew Joyce since elementary school and they worked together in Washington and Baltimore. Bessie and Ivan, Joyce and Bob, Ivan’s friend since high school, were married at a double wedding ceremony on January 26 in Middle River, Maryland.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to West Friendship Volunteer Fire Department or St. James United Methodist Church.