Barney Sutton

Barney Lee Sutton, our beloved father, PawPaw, brother, uncle and friend, was welcomed into heaven on February 2nd, 2025 after courageously battling cancer. Barney was born April 8th, 1956 in Longview, TX to Barney M. And Lillian Sutton. Barney was an extremely gifted musician; by age 13 he was effortlessly hitting Jimi Hendrix licks on his guitar. After graduating from Longview High School. He attended Kilgore College and Southwest Texas State in San Marcos before joining the US Air Force for a short time. Those close to Barney recall his love for the Lord, incredibly sharp wit, kind heart, and tenderness towards animals. Music was his passion though, and he played professionally for several years in the Dallas scene during the 80s. This was an exciting time for Sgt. Rock (as he was then known) as he recorded albums and performed with his band having even opening for some very well-known bands. Barney was incredibly intelligent and had a knack for chemistry. With a young family in tow, he began working as the lab supervisor at a hazardous waste disposal facility, Gibraltar Chemical Resources in Winona, Tx, overseeing testing samples of incoming loads. Barney quickly realized things were not as they appeared at this facility; something many living in proximity to the plant knew all too well as they, their children, and their livestock became sick. Barney’s conscience was burdened; he declined to be a “yes man” and go along with the unethical and dangerous things he was asked to sign off on. Ultimately, Barney was one of a select few at the plant who blew the whistle- despite fierce retribution, and at great personal cost- cooperating with the EPA and Texas Water Commission- later appearing, identity disguised, on a ‘94 episode of NBC’s Dateline to speak out about the danger. Eventually Gibraltar, bowing to fierce litigation, closed in 1999. Barney’s sense of duty to his fellow man is something we can all learn from: it is always the right time to do the right thing. After being diagnosed with cancer last fall, Barney was very clear: should the surgeries and treatments not have the result we hoped for, he did not want us to be sad; while he was ready for the fight, he also was excited to meet his Lord. “This isn’t the end, it is just the beginning”. Surviving Barney are his daughter, Skye Sutton of Tyler, granddaughter, Sutton Dolezal, of Tyler, sister, Linda Nelson, of Longview, and Rhonda Canales (Paul) of San Antonio, niece Katie Nichols (Andy), of Longview, nephew Carson Canales of Honolulu, HI, and great-nephew, Peyton Nichols, of Longview. Barney arrived in heaven on his mother's birthday, joining his father; brother-in-law, Tom Nelson; and nephew, Cameron Canales as they celebrated one more of Nanny’s birthdays with all of eternity to come. Services are currently pending and have been entrusted to Horn-Nail-Haggard Funeral Home in Daingerfield.