Lillie Margaret Sutton

Lillie Margaret “Billie” (Gibson) Sutton, of Auburndale, Florida passed away on Saturday, 3 May 2025. She was born in Bartow, Florida on 7 March 1925 to William Vaughn Gibson, Sr and Mary Lee (Monzingo) Gibson. She attended the First Christian Church of Bartow and graduated from Summerlin Institute in Bartow in 1942. On 21 May 1948 she married Harlan Sanford Burton Sutton and remained married to him until his death on 6 December 1981. Billie moved to Auburndale in April 1952 and lived in the same house on Lake Juliana until her death. She enjoyed living on the lake, was an excellent waterskier and taught many people how to waterski every summer. Prior to moving to Auburndale, she was an Invoice and Payroll Clerk for the Polk County School Board. She remained a housewife until she and her husband opened Lake Juliana Gift Fruit in mid 1960 - a retail and citrus shipping company. During the season, along with her husband, she would hand pack thousands of bushel, half-bushel and quarter bushel boxes of oranges, grapefruit, and tangerines shipped to individuals by UPS all over the United States. She closed the shop in1983 and became the bookkeeper for Christy’s Sundown Restaurant in Winter Haven for approximately 10 years. Billie was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Auburndale, where she served for many years as an elder, was a member of the Auburndale Sorosis Club, and worked with the Auburndale area Needlework Guild to provide clothes for needy school age children. She was a girl scout leader for more than 10 years and served several years as the cookie chairperson for the Auburndale area. She was a founding member of the Morrow Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, known as “Pink Ladies” and in the late 1960’s she was instrumental in forming the Morrow Memorial Hospital Junior Auxiliary for high school girls, known as “Candy Stripers.” After retiring, Bille loved working outside in her yard. She could often be seen riding her John Deere tractor mower well into her 80’s and weeding, edging, and planting well into her mid 90’s. In her 80’s she started participating in a workout program in the warm pool at the Lakeland YMCA and continued until just before her 95th birthday in 2020 when the covid pandemic restricted such activities. She is survived by her daughter Jennifer Sutton Roe (Nelson) of Altamonte Springs, son Mark Sanford Sutton of Auburndale, sister Elizabeth (Betsy) Maxine Gibson Parker, granddaughter SaraJayne Sutton Nicholson (Wray) of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and grandsons, William Ellis Roe of Orlando, William James Harlan Sutton (Nicole) of Nashville, Tennessee. In addition to her parent’s and husband, she is preceded in death by 4 sisters, Frances Leigh Gibson McCotter, Dorothy Gibson, Thera Gibson Losh, Sara Alida Gibson Odom, 2 brothers, William Vaughn Gibson, Jr, John Ellis Gibson, 2 half-sisters, Martha Lucille Gibson Danmeyer, Mary Gray Gibson Attenburg, and 2 half brothers, David Louis (Hoot) Gibson, Robert Cary Gibson. Services will be held Saturday, 10 May 2025 at 11 am, First Presbyterian Church Auburndale, 410 Pilalklakaha Ave, Auburndale, FL with graveside at Auburndale Memorial Park Cemetery, 1889 W.  Derby Ave, Auburndale, FL, immediately following the service. A reception will be held at the church following the graveside. In lieu of flowers, charitable contributions can be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Auburndale, 410 Pilaklakaha Ave, Auburndale, FL 33823, Cornerstone Hospice, 2445 Lane Park Road, Tavares, FL 32778, or a charity of your choice