Thomas Eugene Sutton (Tom) passed away peacefully with his wife Sandy, children Matt and Melissa, daughter-in-law Shayna, and son-in-law Chad, together with his grandchildren Madison, Skylar and Bode, plus Reese and River, in Redding on July 23, 2026.

Born in Eureka to Martha Rose and Eugene Raymond Sutton on January 20, 1955, Tom enjoyed a childhood full of scouting (Eagle Scout, 1970), motorcycle racing, and a series of newspaper delivery jobs that introduced him to the residents of a convalescent home on Harrison Avenue in the late 1960s. This opened opportunities for Tom as he became a carpenter and handyman there, which resulted in his running construction crews for a man who became his mentor in senior care, Larry Debeni. This continued through his time at Eureka High School, followed by College of the Redwoods and Humboldt State, where he graduated in 1976 with a degree in business.

Upon finishing school, Larry hired Tom to manage Granada Hospital on Harris Street. Tom and Sandy were married in 1976 and lived in several homes in Eureka, eventually purchasing a 5-acre property with a beautiful home at the base of Campton Hill, where they resided throughout the raising of Matt and Melissa and enjoying many animals, including horses, sheep and goats, on their property.

Tom was hugely successful in Senior Care and went on to manage all of Larry’s facilities. He bought Larry’s business in 1990 in his mid-30s. Tom continued to build his business in senior care and skilled nursing and sold it at the age of 41. This was the first of several “retirements.”

Tom was just not the kind of guy who could rest on his laurels, and he shifted his activities to construction, to real estate investments, and to building what is now known as Cutten Mini Storage, which he later sold to his daughter Melissa and son-in-law Chad.

In his later years, Tom developed an interest in vintage cars, building a 1966 Shelby Cobra “kit car” from the ground up with lots of help from his friends in Eureka. More recently, he bought and fine-tuned a 1947 Hudson pickup and a 1932 Model A Roadster. He also bought a 2025 Harley Davidson Limited Edition Trike for getting around town!

Tom is survived by his sister Laura, brother Joe (Suzette), and sister Rose (Mark), and many nieces and nephews.

A private family service is planned on October 17, 2026, at Tom’s gravesite, followed by a celebration of life which starts at 5 p.m. with his many friends and associates at the Elk’s Club.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Tom Sutton’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.