William Ward Sutton
1953 - 2019
William Ward Sutton succumbed to cancer at age 66 on September 25, 2019 at his home in California. He was born to Robert and Ann (Ward) Sutton on July 4, 1953 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Ward graduated from East High School (‘71) and attended the University of Utah. As a youth, Ward excelled in baseball, football and skiing. He was a born athlete and always strived to do his best in life. He was a beautiful skier to watch and loved his racing years.
On September 1, 1982, he married Marie Pierre Colyn in Salt Lake City, Utah. They met while working for Steiner Corporation in Salt Lake City where Ward’s extensive career in IT began. His line of work took him not only all over the United States but also abroad, through various assignments with companies such as Lotus Development, IBM, Intel, Compaq and Hewlett Packard. He also dabbled for a few years as a private contractor working with PG&E, SPAWAR, LAPD and Wells Fargo, which hired him as a team member in 2002. With Wells Fargo, Ward would ultimately design and implement their mobile banking application that he was genuinely proud of and boasted about frequently. Ward had a brilliant mind that could figure out just about any problem that would arise in the IT world. If he could not think of a solution to a problem, he would persevere until the answer came to him. There is always something challenging about IT that he loved. He excelled at researching challenging and complex issues. He had been looking forward to a much deserved and anticipated retirement in 2019 when he received devastating news that curtailed the long-planned event of another phase of his life.
Ward’s passion in life was spending time with the “blonde” as he called his wife, while they were camping, fishing, mountain biking, hiking and traveling throughout the United States and abroad. Ward was never happier than when he was fly-fishing the Green River in Utah, mountain biking the trails of Wilder Ranch in Santa Cruz or skiing the many resorts of the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. Ward’s other passion included marinating and barbecuing meats as well as trying out new recipes he found on the Internet. He was a phenomenal cook having learned the art of marinating and grilling meat from his father whose pot roast Ward wrote an ode to as a class paper when he was 11 years old.
Ward had an infectious sense of humor and wit always focusing on the lighter side of life with a smile on his lips, a twinkle in his eyes, and a good chuckle or belly laugh that would burst free from deep within his soul. Ward’s motto in life was “Lower your expectations” when life was overwhelming. His mantra was “No Worries”, although he himself always worried about the people he cared about and loved. To know Ward is to remember that he cared deeply about others and wanted to fix injustices or be part of a solution that would bring a much desired positive outcome for all parties involved. He lived life to the fullest and meted out big bear hugs as needed to those who were receptive. He had a big heart filled with goodness, compassion and empathy for others who struggled in life. He was the real deal.
Ward is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Marie; his brothers, Randy (Pam) of Ohio and George (Annie) of Utah; his sisters, Suzann (Michael) of Utah and Robyn of Texas; his nephews: Mason (Karina) of Utah, Kyle of Utah, Parker (Linsie) of Indiana, Nicholas of Illinois, Spencer (Rebecca) of Texas, Joshua (Ryan) of Idaho, Tyler of Ohio, Cyrus of Salt Lake City; and niece Lizzie of Salt Lake City. Ward was preceded in death by his parents.
Marie would like to express her deepest and heartfelt gratitude for the astonishing expression of love and support from Ginger Baldyga and her Wells Fargo Team. Ward was moved beyond words at the outpouring of love and good wishes during his illness. At his passing, Wells Fargo friends, new and old, shared many wonderful memories of Ward. Marie is deeply appreciative of all the condolences and support she received in honor of Ward.
In remembering Ward think of your favorite memory of a moment you shared with him that made you laugh out loud. He was always good for a laugh.
“You can always tell where a beautiful soul has been by the tears and smiles left behind.” unknown