Dr. Roy C. Sutton III

March 19, 1953 - Oct 23, 2017

Roy Clifton Sutton, III, MD, 64, went home after a courageous battle with cancer on October 23, 2017.

He was born at DePaul Hospital, Norfolk, VA on March 19, 1953 and graduated from Lake Taylor High School. He received a bachelors and masters in chemical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia. His Medical Doctor degree was awarded from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia. At Stanford University he did a neurosurgery internship and residency. Here he also completed 2 years of neurosurgical research and published key articles about using carrier agents to deliver chemotherapy to brain tumors. At the University of Virginia, he completed a clinical and anatomical pathology residency and a neuropathology fellowship where he was a prestigious Rubinstein fellow.

His proudest professional achievements included the numerous awards he received from medical school classes where he taught pathology and neuropathology. More significant, his groundbreaking work set the stage for treating gliomas using medication carriers. He considered his greatest achievements those of using what God had blessed him with, being a devoted and loving husband and father, and saving many lives with his surgical skills and expertise.

He loved California and the Bay Area was where he left his heart. Jogging along the Stanford dish, through Rancho San Antonio and through the streets of San Francisco during the Bay to Breakers was one of his favorite activities. Studying physics and romantic languages were his lifelong pastimes.

We are all just passing time here on earth and we each occupy our chair very briefly. The time we had with Roy was a gift and we are all better that he occupied his chair so well.

He is survived by his wife, Sharon “Sherry” Sutton, a son, Patrick; a Masters of Fine Arts candidate at the University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, a daughter, Summer; a Masters in English candidate at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA and a sister, Elyse Lemaire of Arlington, MA.

In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution via a check made payable to Stanford University, c/o Allie Gregorian, Stanford Medical Center Development, 3172 Porter Dr., Ste 210, Palo Alto, CA 94304.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, Nov. 3, 2017 at 2:30 pm at Alta Mesa Memorial Park, 695 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306.