David Allen Sutton was a loving husband, father, brother, grandfather and friend. He passed away on October 5, 2023 at the age of 64, following complications from frontotemporal degeneration (FTD dementia). He was born to Rolland and Jane (Depoy) Sutton on July 9, 1959 in Frankfort, IN.  He graduated from Frankfort Senior High School in 1977 where he played on the varsity tennis team, was a member of the dive team, and participated in band and theater.  He went on to receive a B.S. in Business Management from the College of Technology at Purdue University in 1983.

Upon graduation, David followed in his father’s footsteps as sales manager at Nixon Newspapers in Peru, IN. Later in his career, he would return to Nixon Newspapers as Director of Technology. He continued to have a major impact on the newspaper industry as a publisher at numerous publications in Baltimore, Washington, DC, Alaska (where son Jacob was born), Florida (where son Matthew was born), and Indiana.

Dave returned to his roots in the Midwest to co-found 1Up! Software, bringing hundreds of newspapers online with their cutting-edge content management system. He completed his professional influence on the newspaper industry when he joined TownNews in 2005, retiring in 2019.

Active in the community, David was a member of Kiwanis International, Hoosier State Press Association, other state and national press associations, Purdue Alumni Association, Blue Knights Motorcycle Club, Galveston Archery Club, and Hoosier Mud Turtles Off-Road Club. David loved the outdoors, especially when it involved spending time with his family and friends, to whom he was totally devoted.  Over the years he spent many enjoyable hours at local skateparks with his sons, Jacob and Matthew. He followed his dad’s interests in aviation and space travel. He took great pride in the number of astronauts that were fellow Purdue alumni.

His other interests included riding his motorcycle, getting off the beaten path on his ATV and camping with his wife, Teri.  In his younger years, he was an avid tennis player and an occasional skydiver. Having spent a few years living in Alaska, he continued to be a fan of the Iditarod dog sled race. His grandchildren held a very special place in his heart.

Rarely, was Dave seen without a Purdue shirt or cap and his Purdue class ring. He enjoyed talking about rivalries with any IU, Notre Dame or Ohio State fans. Dave always smiled when he heard “Boiler Up” or a reference to Purdue Pete. Dave touched the lives of many. He always had a smile and good word for everyone he met. His sense of humor and his care for others was endless. He was a natural storyteller, including tales of Alaskan volcanoes, college fraternity stories, and his great pride in his sons.

May David Sutton rest in eternal peace, and may his spirit continue to shine brightly in our hearts.

Visitation and Services

Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Monday, October 9, 2023 at Goodwin Funeral Home, 200 S. Main St., Frankfort. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, October 10th at the funeral home. Jason Gerlach will officiate. Burial will be in Green Lawn Cemetery, Frankfort, Ind. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Red Barn Summer Theatre, P.O. Box 706, Frankfort, IN 46041 and as we bid farewell to Dave, he asks that you “do an act of kindness every day.”

Survived by:

his wife, Teri; sons, Jacob Allen Madden Sutton (Kelly) of Peru, Ind., Matthew David Sutton of Norfolk, VA; stepdaughter, Megan Erk, Belle Fourche, SD; five grandchildren; former wife, Linda Madden Imhoff and her mother, Lexine Hicks, both of Peru, Ind.; two sisters, Susan Graper (Brad) of Maryland and Carol Workman (Boe) of Annandale, VA; mother-in-law, Wilma Hammond of Arizona, numerous nieces and nephews; his devoted dog Bella; close friend Carl Swan of Kokomo, Ind.; and many other relatives and friends. 

Preceded by:

David is preceded in death by his parents, Jane and Rolland Sutton.