MATTHEWS - Joseph (Joe) Wilson Sutton, 74, died at 10 am August 15, 2022, at Tiffany Springs Rehabilitation & Health Care Center in Kansas City, MO with family at his side.

Born November 2, 1947, in Sikeston, MO to the late Omer Wilson and Elsie Pauline Sutton, he was employed at Steward Steel in Sikeston until his retirement in 2021. Prior to Steward Steel, he was employed in the fertilizer distribution and application industry. Joe served honorably as an aircraft mechanic in the US Air Force from August 24, 1967, until August 23, 1971, during which time he spent much of 1969 with the 9th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) at Da Nang, Vietnam. He finished his service closer to home with the Strategic Air Command in Blytheville, AR. He didn't often talk about his time in the Air Force or in Vietnam and would often shy away from platitudes. The few stories he shared were about flying on leaflet drop missions in Vietnam to earn flight pay and some of the more mundane experiences he had while at Da Nang and while stationed in the States.

He is survived by one son and daughter-in-law, Lathem Alan and Nicole Denise Scott of Kansas City, MO; one sister, Judy Hannan of Atwood; one brother and a sister-in-law, Greg and Jane Sutton of Sikeston; two granddaughters, Hannah Jeanice Scott of Orlando, FL and Sarah Rose Scott of Kansas City, MO; five nieces and nephews, Brian Hannan of Atwood, TN; Terry Welch of Milan, TN; John Powell of New Madrid, MO; Ashley Sutton of Sikeston, MO; and Aaron Sutton of Sikeston, MO; and numerous great and great-great nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his parents and one sister, Meta Faye Powell.

Early in his life, Joe enjoyed watching NASCAR and other sports, but eventually got bored with those and switched to watching Big Bang Theory, both when it originally aired and over and over again in syndication. While in Kansas City, his rehab facility's cable network did not have TBS, which carried Big Bang Theory, and he would often complain there was nothing else good on TV.

Joe was incredibly loyal to his family and friends, and very few of them did not receive a kind word or more from Joe over the years. He spent his entire life after leaving the Air Force within a short drive of his mom and dad, and would eventually move in with them to assist as best he could around the house, which rewarded him with a daily dose of Granny's good cooking and scorching heat during the winter from his dad tending the wood burning stove. He enjoyed beans and cornbread, his coffee filled to the top of the cup for breakfast, his iced tea throughout the day, and a stack of Wonder Bread with many of his meals.

As Joe grew older, he found pleasure in spending Saturday nights with Greg and Jane, where he would enjoy a nourishing meal outside of his beloved daily Hardee's biscuits and gravy, or his canned chili or frozen pizza. Joe enjoyed visiting his nephew John and his family for celebrations and holidays. He and his childhood friend Greg Thompson took frequent trips to Sikeston to go to WalMart, grab some scratcher tickets, or go to a doctor's appointment.

The last couple of years with Covid were especially hard for him, but he made it to the end without getting sick. He made his final trip to Kansas City in late summer 2021 to visit Lathem, Niki, and his beloved granddaughters. During his KC visits he often found himself trying newfoods, either cooked at their house or out on the town, experiencing new things, and taking his granddaughters for fun activities. He often recounted the trip he took with them to shop formake-up. He often expressed his love for his granddaughters and always ended his weeken calls with Lathem by telling him to "take care of those girls."

Joe took over gardening duties as his dad was less able to manage. The garden shrank a little every year, but he always had some tomatoes and a few other vegetables. He was on his way to deliver tomatoes from his garden to Greg and Jane when he was in the car accident on September 16, 2021, that would ultimately lead to his passing.

Joe was tough. He worked hard his entire life and spent the last eleven months living his toughness. He fought every day to return to some sense of normalcy following his car accident in Sept 2021. The first month at St. Louis University Medical Center's trauma ICU he endured four surgeries, including two that put his fractured pelvis back together and one that plated much of his left rib cage due to multiple rib fractures. He was placed in a neck collar for a fractured neck bone that made him miserable. He was transferred to a long-term acute care hospital in Cape Girardeau in October 2021 where he would further recover slowly until January 2022. At the end of January, he moved to Kansas City to be closer to Lathem and his family, and to continue his recovery.

He had several successes during the early months in KC. He had his neck collar and trach removed, was able to start eating blended foods and drink water for the first time in almost six months, and began an increased, though minimal physical and occupational therapy routine. He learned soon after his move to KC that he had significant nerve damage in his left leg, but that didn't stop him from continuing to work. His physical recovery allowed him to return to eating solid foods and being able to stand for a second or two on his good right leg.

Unfortunately, Joe is believed to have experienced a stroke or a series of strokes around May or early June 2022. He continued to attempt physical therapy, but the neurological damage made it more difficult to progress and his cognitive abilities began to decline. He would eventually struggle to eat more than a few bites at meals and ultimately had to return to a liquid diet and spent 100% of his time either in bed or in a wheelchair. Throughout the ordeal he rarely complained and remained hopeful. He would tell Lathem after each visit he loved him and that he would see him tomorrow.

Joe's absence will leave a gaping hole in the hearts of his friends and family. He was a shining example of the benefits of hard work and loyalty to family and friends. He will be missed by all.

Visitation will be held from 10:00 AM to noon on Saturday, August 27, 2022, with services to begin at noon at McMikle Funeral Home in Sikeston. Rev. Don Adams will officiate. His nephew, John Powell, will offer a eulogy.

Burial will follow in the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Sikeston.

Pallbearers will be: Brian Hannan; Jonathan Powell; Aaron Sutton; Brad Williams; Norman Sanders; and Kerry Nation.

Honorary pallbearers will be: Greg Thompson; Jared Brewer; and Paul Reed.

To share a memory of Joe or send a condolence to his family please visit www.mcmiklefuneralhome.com.