Raeburn Lloyd Sutphin lost a year-long battle to cancer and eventually heart failure on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021.While that is a period to his 70 years of life, his memory lives on through family, friends, and those he influenced over those years as a family man, teacher, and coach in Southwest Florida. He was born in West Virginia but spent most of his formative years in Cleveland, OH. He attended and graduated from Midpark High School in Brookpark, OH, in 1969. He played basketball and baseball in high school and starred as a starting pitcher in baseball. His pitching career ended early, however, due to injuries to his arm.

He met Ellen Sutphin, his wife of 48 years, at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, OH, in 1971.They both majored in education and married on August 10, 1973.Soon after graduation, they moved to Arcadia, FL, where they worked for the DeSoto County Public School system for almost 40 years. Ray Sutphin was a teacher, coach, friend, and mentor to many in his years as a Florida educator. While his main focus as a coach was football, he also coached track, basketball, golf, tennis, and softball. He helped to implement the first women's track team for DeSoto High School in the 1980s.He also coached and taught for a brief time at Port Charlotte High School in the 1990s.

For his family, he was a husband, a friend, a father, and still an educator. Ray Sutphin is survived by his wife, Ellen Sutphin, and sons David Sutphin and Daniel Sutphin. As the writer of this obituary and his youngest son, Daniel, my father and I had our times where we really connected -- such as the 18-minute-long drum solo of "In-a-gadda-da-vida" by Iron Butterfly (look it up if you don't know it).He would sit cross-legged in front of our family's record player and shoulder-high speakers and say "this is the best drum solo ever." Somewhere in that moment, my love for music became a real thing and matched his. I would probably argue differently later and mention Led Zeppelin and he would probably say otherwise.

Anyway, I love you, Dad. We love you, Dad.

At his own wishes, services will be family only in Arcadia. We appreciate all who knew and valued our father during his life.

In lieu of flowers the family request donations to 1st Presbyterian Church, 209 W. Hickory St, Arcadia,FL. 34266

Online condolences can be made at pongerkaysgrady.com Ponger-Kays-Grady Funeral & Cremation Services have been entrusted with the arrangements.