Douglas Richard Sutton was born on July 5 1946. He attended school at Fairfield NSW.
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He joined the Royal Australian Airforce in 1965 and served at bases at Richmond NSW, Edinburgh SA, Townsville QLD, Darwin NT, Operational Command at Glenbrook NSW as well as an attachment with the United Nations in Kashmir Pakistan and service in Phan Rang Vietnam.
It was during his first years of service that he meet his wife Margaret, who was also serving in the Royal Australian Airforce and the two were married on December 14 1968.
He retired from the permanent RAAF after 20 years, but remained in the RAAF Reserve for another 10 years.
He then took a job as OHS Co-ordinator at Newcastle State Dockyard, then the University of Western Sydney at Penrith and finally, after moving to Port Macquarie in preparation for his retirement years ahead, he worked as the OHS Co-ordinator of Hastings Council till he retired at age 55 in 2001.
Doug’s love for the great outdoors saw him spend extensive amounts of time fishing, kayaking, enjoying many regular holidays and caravanning road trips which took him to numerous corners of this beautiful country that he was so fond of.
He loved to write letters to the Gazette and Port News, Local, State and Federal members when he felt there was an issue that needed attention. His last letter regarding the cleanliness of our local skate park was published just six days before he passed away.
After being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in April 2016, he fought hard to keep it at bay, but on March 1 2017, he could fight no more.
Doug was a fantastic husband to Margaret, loving father to Christopher and Catherine, father-in-law to Elizabeth and Shaun, grandfather to 10, and great-grandfather to 12, with the arrival of his 13th great-grandchild due any day.
The love that he showered his family with, the wisdom and knowledge that he oozed, the wonderful adventures we enjoyed together and the amazing memories that he has left behind will live on forever in our hearts.
Doug left behind strict instructions that he did not wish for those that surrounded him to be saddened any further by attending a funeral, but to come together in celebration of his life, so on March 11 2017, 85 family and friends farewelled Doug at a wonderful celebration in memory of the adventure filled 70 years of our beloved Dougie’s life.
We all miss him terribly.
