Coach John "Wimpy" Sutton:
The Passing of an Era
Perkins Hotel and Bath House ca. 1940s - courtesy Beaches Museum |
Coach John "Wimpy" Sutton" 1945 courtesy family |
With the
recent passing of John "Wimpy" Sutton, an era in Beaches history draws to a quiet
close. He will probably be best
remembered as a man who touched the lives of thousands of young people and in the process
helped to create a uniquely positive, can-do self image for an entire
generation of Beaches residents. I
cannot think of another single individual whose life, both public and private,
better exemplified the way an entire community liked to see itself, and I doubt
that anyone who ever met the man is likely to forget him.
To many Wimpy will be remembered for his stellar career as a science teacher or as the man who coached high school swimmers, future Olympic medal winners, or led water aerobics exercise classes for seniors. He will also be remembered by others as a pioneer in angling techniques for king fish and tarpon, but his sphere of influence went well beyond the classroom and sports. He seemed to have a hand in everything, and due mostly to his positive energy and personal enthusiasm, he took on a motivational role in everything he touched. He led by example.
To many Wimpy will be remembered for his stellar career as a science teacher or as the man who coached high school swimmers, future Olympic medal winners, or led water aerobics exercise classes for seniors. He will also be remembered by others as a pioneer in angling techniques for king fish and tarpon, but his sphere of influence went well beyond the classroom and sports. He seemed to have a hand in everything, and due mostly to his positive energy and personal enthusiasm, he took on a motivational role in everything he touched. He led by example.
Perkins Ocean Front Boarding House built 1907 - courtesy Beaches Museum |
Wimp's great grandmother Mary E. Perkins - courtesy family |
Wimpy's Mother, Ruth Pfeiffer (Sutton) 1925 - courtesy family |
Wimpy's grandmother Anna Perkins (Pfeiffer) Pursel courtesy family |
Life saving award presented to Wimpy, 1948 (note signature bottom left} courtesy family |
After a stint in the US Army, Wimpy enrolled at UF under the GI Bill, got married, and
went to work for Frank A. Doggett at Fletcher High School as a 9th grade
science teacher. He assisted as a
football coach and was head coach of the swimming team, which became a force to
be reckoned with throughout the state.
Teams he coached racked up some astonishing records, including: 20 consecutive conference championships, an
unbroken string of 169 dual meets, 15
consecutive county and district championships, and state Class A championship
two years in a row. In 1955 Wimpy was
selected by the Beaches Jaycees as Young Man of the Year.
There is not
enough room here to give a full account of Wimpy's personal accomplishments or
to list all of the awards and acknowledgements he has received for his service
to the community. What follows is merely
a highly edited summary: He had an
active role at the Beaches Aquatic Club which build a heated swimming to
facilitate winter practice for the swimming team. He taught learn-to-swim classes for children,
and led exercise programs for adults and seniors. In 1977 he was inducted into the Jacksonville Sports Hall of
Fame. He was active with his wife in
several Beach Bop dance clubs, had a radio show and a newspaper column for
sports fishermen, and served as a Deacon and an Elder in his church. He handily won an elected seat on the Duval
County School Board, helped organize the Beaches Education Foundation, gave commencement speeches, organized health
fairs, Swim-A-Thons, and sold fruit cakes for fund raisers. He held a captain's license for commercial
sport fishing charters, was honored with several testimonials, and was named "teacher
and coach of the year" while at Fletcher High School. In 2001 the school's on campus swimming pool
was named for him.
Hall of Fame news clipping courtesy family |
Wimpy September 2014 photo by Newell |