Sutton, Gerald

Gerald Sutton was born in Uckfield, Sussex, England on July 23, 1925, and he attended grammar school on a scholarship in the historic county town of Lewes.  While there he watched the Battle of Britain fought overhead in 1940.  With that in mind – and despite the danger of U-boat attacks, his mother brought him to Canada in 1941, joining his father in Chatham, Ontario.  Gerald was not a fan of school in Ontario, so he went to work.  He started at Libby’s, where he worked with mustard and tomato juice, but a series of mishaps led him seek alternate employment, and he went to the Bank of Montreal.  While there, he was given leave to enlist in the RCAF at the age of 17.  He began his training in the British Commonwealth Air Training Program, and he was commissioned as a pilot.  As the war was unwinding during this time, Gerald was not called upon to go overseas.  Gerald’s older brother had remained in England where he became a Royal Marine; he was killed in the 1943 landing in Sicily.  When Gerald completed his service, he enrolled in the Commerce program at Queen’s University, where in his final year he met his future wife Margaret.  He proposed five days later, and they were married the same evening they graduated in 1948.  Gerald continued his education, earning a Master’s of Commerce.  This was followed by a very successful career in the banking and investment industries.  Gerald also remained a passionate advocate for people with developmental handicaps, and he and his wife have supported educational initiatives at Queen’s as well.

Gerald was interviewed in his home in May 2019 by Scott Masters; we thank the Memory Project for facilitating this connection.