John T. Sutton, 62, of Bethlehem, PA, passed away on Thursday, November 12, 2020, at St. Luke's Hospital in Fountain Hill, PA.  Born on July 14, 1958, in Allentown, he was the son of Dr. Robert and Marjorie (Moloney) Sutton of Coopersburg, PA.  He was the loving husband of Regina "Gina" (Gortat) Sutton.

John attended St. Michael the Archangel School in Limeport and graduated from Southern Lehigh High School in Center Valley, Class of 1976. He received a BA in Industrial Arts from Millersville University in 1981.

John performed various construction duties at the Town House Hotel in Coopersburg while in high school. While at Millersville University, he swept chimneys as part of a business owned by one of his instructors. His passion for cleaning chimneys led him to start his own business, Abracadabra Chimney Specialists, soon after graduating from Millersville.  He was a familiar sight in his vintage red truck on his way to jobs for more than 10 years.  A photo of him climbing a chimney dressed as Santa Claus was picked up by the Associated Press and ran in newspapers across the country in 1978.

John taught Industrial Arts at Penn Ridge High School for one year before he moved to the cabinet making industry. He worked as a project manager at several cabinet making businesses in the Lehigh Valley for 35 years before becoming owner and operator of Furniture Medic in Bethlehem, PA, which he ran for 8 years.  He thoroughly enjoyed lovingly restoring beloved pieces of furniture for family and friends; a sample of his work can be seen on the large front doors of the Carmelite Monastery in Lanark, PA.  He had many talents, from fixing cars to renovating houses to being a master cabinet maker to making up original bedtime stories, and he was truly good at it all.

With his warm smile and hilarious one-liners, John was the life of the party.  He was always fun to be around and always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need.  He and his wife, Gina, could recommend a good restaurant for any occasion throughout the Lehigh Valley.  He also enjoyed cooking for his family, and was known for throwing together a good meal with random items from the refrigerator in under 20 minutes.  Saturday mornings typically began by whipping up a batch of creamed chipped "cream" or pancakes for his children, and his Shake-n-Bake barbecue chicken wings will live on as cooked by his son for many summertime meals.

John enjoyed vacationing in Ocean City, NJ, as a child and spent many summers with his children staying at the Tahiti Inn & Apartments.  One of his favorite pastimes was visiting his family's cabin in the Holiday Pocono community in Albrightsville.  As a child and teenager, he enjoyed riding bikes and fishing with friends in the community, and as an adult, taking his children on vacations or weekend day trips to the "beach" at the community lakes, where they would float on rafts, make campfires, or participate in the annual children's fishing contest.  His children will fondly remember many trips to the Poconos through the Lehigh Tunnel while listening to classic Meatloaf albums, as well as Friday nights around the TV watching TGIF.

He was a lifelong Catholic and a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Bethlehem Township.

In addition to his parents and wife, John is survived by a son, Patrick Sutton of Kempton; daughter, Paige Sutton-Smith of Lehighton; brother, Stephen Sutton of Allentown; sister, Kathleen Sobkow and husband Ernest of Lansdale; a large extended family of cousins; and several nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in John's honor to the American Heart Association 968 Postal Rd. Allentown, PA 18109