Connie J. (Evans) Sutton, 80, of Indiana, passed away on Sunday, February 1, 2026. She was born in Portage, PA, on March 23, 1945, to the late H. Leroy and Virginia Faye (Bowser) Evans.
A graduate of the class of 1963 from Indiana Senior High School, Connie received her Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education from IUP where she was a member of Alpha Phi Sorority. Connie began her teaching career at East Pike School in Indiana in 1967. She then married the love of her life, Chuck, on Sept. 7, 1968. The same year she was offered a position to teach Earth Science and Astronomy at IUP and run the planetarium. Connie retired from IUP in 2003 after teaching for 35 years. Some of Connie’s memberships included The Foundation for IUP, the Antique Automobile Club of America, National Education Association, ADK, and Trinity United Methodist Church, Indiana. She received the Distinguished Faculty Award from IUP in 1994. Connie hosted countless astronomy sessions at the planetarium in Weyandt Hall for many community groups including the Girl and Boy Scouts and the county schools. She enjoyed sewing, traveling, studying genealogy, star gazing, and most importantly spending time with her grandchildren.
Surviving Connie are her children, son Craig (Johanna) Sutton of Indiana, daughter Carrie (William) Sutton-White of Indiana, grandchildren Payton, Trenton, and Bob, half-sister Elizabeth Ellsworth of NC, sister-in-law Linda Russell of NC, one niece and several nephews.
In addition to her parents, Connie was preceded in death by her husband Charles D. Sutton in 2021, a sister Nancy Evans-Plummer, and nephew Christopher Russell.
Friends and family are invited to attend a memorial service at Trinity United Methodist Church, 398 Church Street, Indiana, PA 15701, on Saturday, February 21, 2026, at 1:00 PM, with Pastors Pat Lenox and Greg Golden co-officiating. Internment will be at East Ridge Cemetery, Westover, PA on a later date.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to Penn Home Hospice for the excellent care they provided.
Memorial contributions to support a memorial scholarship at IUP in memory of Connie and Chuck Sutton can be made online at www.iup.edu/giveagift . The online gift form allows you to indicate who your gift will memorialize. For those wishing to send a contribution, checks can be made out to the Foundation for IUP and mailed to FIUP, 1011 South Drive, Indiana, PA 15705. To send an online condolence to the family, please visit www.bowserminich.com.
