Bobby Jack Sutphin

She was born Nov. 16, 1933 in Silsbee, TX to Robert and Mary Jack VanDeventer but moved to Baytown when she was about 12 and spent most of her life here.

She attended Robert E. Lee High School, where she worked on her school newspaper, was a Press Club member and then became editor of the Gander Gazette before graduating in 1951. She then attended the University of Texas for two years before marrying Cecil Sutphin, also a Baytown resident, who was an SMU All-American football star and later businessman, college professor and master electrician. They settled in Baytown and raised five children and half the rest of the neighborhood children.

Bobby worked for many years at the Baytown Sun newspaper, both as a journalist and a photographer and won numerous journalism awards. She also served as Women's Editor at the Sun. As a member and officer of the National Presswomen's Association, she planned every detail, made all travel arrangements and booked their Convention in Hawaii. She had the privilege of working with many fine people at the Sun including lifelong friend, Wanda Orton, as well as Fred Hartman, Leon Hale, and many others she considered her good friends.

Bobby eventually left the Sun to head up public relations and advertising for what was then the Humble Credit Union. She started the Humble Credit Union Credit Card program and won many awards for the Credit Union in marketing including a first place in the graphic arts competition at the Credit Union Executives Society's 1973 Annual Marketing Conference of which she was a member. She was also a featured annual speaker at marketing conferences including the annual Education and Marketing Conference sponsored by the Credit Union Leagues from Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois, among many others.

She then went on to open her own office supply business known as The Pencil Box Office Supply and became a very successful businesswoman, winning many commercial bids. Her children often helped her in business, learning the many roles of business operations and sales.

She later sold the business and retired but suddenly thereafter experienced a partial but permanent loss of vision. That didn't stop her from continuing and excelling at the art that she loved so much. She was a founding member of The Baytown Little Theater, whose first meeting was held in her home.

Always creative, she got into art in her 30s, and became quite adept at china painting. Thanks to good friend and neighbor, Jeanne Bitterly, she found that she could also paint well in watercolors, acrylics and oils, in which she won many awards, ribbons, prizes and accolades all over the region. Later, she learned she could not only paint, but was a natural teacher and became a sought-after watercolor teacher and demonstrator, sharing her talents and skills first with a senior citizen group at a Baytown church but then teaching classes at many different venues and holding workshops. Those included programs for special needs students and the children at The Shriners Burn Hospital in Galveston, which always brought her great joy.

She worked for years on the Baytown Art League's dream of obtaining a building that could be the league's home and finally saw that dream come true in 2008. That's when the organization joined forces with the City of Baytown and opened the Art Center on Texas Avenue where she taught watercolor classes, offered rose-painting workshops (among others) and was instrumental in creating what became an art class for mentally-challenged adults.

Bobby was a longtime member of the Art League of Baytown and served in most of its board positions, including as president, many times. She was also a member of the Galveston Art League, Deer Park Art League, Lone Star Art Guild, and many other art leagues. She was a member of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, St. Mark's United Methodist Church, and the Baytown Citizen's Advisory Panel.

Bobby Jack Sutphin was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Robert William ""Bill"" Sutphin, and a son, Robert Noel Sutphin. She is survived by her sister Jane VanDeventer and her partner, Suzie Fagg; four children, Lou Ann Nolan of Pasadena, Lynn Crain and her husband Therin of Baytown, Greg Sutphin and wife Dawn of Philadelphia, and Chris Sutphin and wife Angie of Dayton. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Matthew Ferguson and wife Sara, Kristen Ferguson and longtime boyfriend Michael Bergmann, Vann Sutphin, Grace Sutphin, Jared Sutphin, Kayla Maye and her husband Jordan, Jacob Sutphin, Sean Sutphin, Travis Sutphin, Justin Sutphin and Stephen Sutphin; by her beloved cats Charley, Tobin and Chelsea; and by her many friends and art students.

Her family will receive friends at Navarre Funeral Home Wednesday from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Funeral services will be Thursday, August 20, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mark's United Methodist Church, 3811 N. Main St., Baytown, TX 77521, with Rev. Charles Ruehl, Sr. and Rev. Raegan Seaton officiating. Burial will be Friday at 10:00 a.m. at Big Sandy Cemetery, 9582 County Line Road, Livingston, TX 77531.

Serving as pallbearers will be Chris Sutphin, Greg Sutphin, Vann Sutphin, Jacob Sutphin, Jared Sutphin, Sean Sutphin, David Abbott, Bill Abbott, Matthew Ferguson, and Termite Watkins.

In lieu of the usual tributes, the family suggests that donations be made in Bobby's memory to any art program of one's choice, through volunteering time to art organizations, or enrolling in an art class to take that art class that you always wanted. Mom was all about encouraging people everywhere to make this world more beautiful through art, through God, and through service to others.

To view the online obituary or to post a tribute for the family, go to www.navarrefuneralhome.com

Arrangements are under the direction and personal care of Navarre Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 2444 Rollingbrook Dr., Baytown, TX, 77521 (281) 422-8111.