We were informed on June 8, 2023 that Doug Dutton had passed away. His wife Carolyn passed away just a few days after him.
Here are some exerpts from their obituaries apparently written by their children:
Douglas E. Dutton, Sr. 1942-2023 and Carolyn Powell Dutton 1942-2023 Vestavia Hills, AL
Doug Dutton, our beloved father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend kissed his bride of 60 years goodnight for the last time Saturday evening, June the 3rd. The following morning, Sunday, June the 4th his devoted wife discovered that her loving husband had crossed the River Jordan while peacefully sleeping beside her.
Carolyn Dutton our beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend was reunited with her husband in the arms of our heavenly father five days later. Their passing together is a sure indication of how deeply they loved one another, and a fitting ending to their epic love story.
Douglas E. Dutton, Sr. Obituary
Doug was born in Birmingham, AL and grew up in the Elyton Village Housing Project in the shadows of Legion Field. Doug’s parents owned and operated a cafe in downtown Birmingham where Doug often worked. He also spent many summers selling programs and refreshments at Rickwood Field where he fell in love with the game of baseball and its historic field of dreams.
Doug was a 1960 graduate of West End High School, where he was celebrated for his athletic abilities. Doug also served as the President of his Sr. Class and was voted most original. During that same year he met the love of his life, Carolyn Powell and they married in 1963. Living off popcorn and Kool-Aid in Auburn, Alabama, Carolyn worked to financially support them as Doug completed his degree in Engineering.
Southern Company Services, the parent organization of Alabama Power and other utilities, at Doug’s request, agreed to create a co-op program and he became the first co-op in the company’s history in 1960. This program allowed he and those who followed him the opportunity to gain practical engineering experience while obtaining his undergraduate degree. This experience set in motion a forty plus year career where he started as a Materials Clerk and retired as an Executive Vice President. Doug managed multiple responsibilities and developed many relationships across the globe during his four decades of employment.
One of his proudest achievements was overseeing and leading the construction of the Vogtle Nuclear Power Plant as the Project General Manager. At Southern Company, Doug was known by his colleagues as one of the company’s most ethical and honorable executives. His career advancements were earned through hard work and determination. He believed the formula for success was “discipline coupled with flexibility and consistency- plus a measure of enthusiasm.”
A voracious reader and self-described lifelong student, Doug completed formal education programs at the following institutions: Auburn University, Harvard University, UAB, Samford University, New Orleans Theological Seminary, and The Buckley School of Public Speaking.
After retirement from Southern Company, Doug continued to serve his community through volunteering and working in real estate as a partner in The Dutton Group with his son, David. In retirement he enjoyed sharing his love of baseball and history of Rickwood Field with his grandchildren by taking them to the annual Rickwood Classic. Doug, dressed in his father’s suit and grandfather’s boots, was elated to make his Hollywood debut at Rickwood as a movie extra in Cobb.
Faith in a higher power was the bedrock of Doug and Carolyn’s success. Doug was instrumental in establishing a private K-12 school associated with Berney Points Baptist Church in western Birmingham, where Doug was Chairman of the Deacon Board and Chairman of the School Board in the 1970s. During the 1980s he was a deacon, donor, and long time Sunday school teacher at Shades Mountain Baptist Church. When Doug and Carolyn were not in Sunday school, they took care of the babies in the church nursery. They attended Vestavia Hills Baptist Church later in life where Doug continued teaching the Gospel.
Carolyn Powell Dutton Obituary
Carolyn was born in Birmingham, Alabama and like her husband, Doug, grew up with an abundance of love, but faced and overcame many difficult circumstances. Carolyn attended 18 different schools as her family would frequently move when financial obligations could not be met. Her father worked as a pipe fitter and her mother worked as a waitress at a Howard Johnson. Carolyn’s world was forever changed when she answered the door to find a state trooper holding on to an envelope. At the tender age of 15, Carolyn learned that her loving mother, Ola Bell, had been tragically killed in a horrific train accident. Carolyn’s father did the best he could, but ultimately the siblings were sent separate ways and it was up to Carolyn to keep their circle unbroken. She did a remarkable job of making the best of life in the toughest of situations. Carolyn loved her siblings and took on the role of matriarch. She was a survivor. Carolyn took charge of her life and went on to become the SGA president, Miss Fire Prevention, and a fierce competitor in basketball and volleyball, lettering in both.
She met her future husband Doug at church, while they were still in high school. After graduation, she took the opportunity to move to California to be with her cousins, Winston, Jimmy, and John. She pursued banking in California with Bank of America, where the local boys would line up during their lunch hour to open accounts just to hear her talk. Doug anxiously wrote to Carolyn, sometimes without response, but being a man of persistence, Doug would go on to send a love letter for the ages and convince Carolyn to conclude her west coast adventures and return home to marry and start a family with him in Alabama. With their faith in God, hope for a bright future, and love for one another, they relied on Carolyn to provide by working at the Bank of Auburn on Toomer’s Corner while Doug pursued his degree. A social butterfly, Carolyn was an officer in the Auburn University Dames Club and a favorite among new friends, and colleagues. When the couple moved back to Birmingham, Carolyn became very active with church, teaching in children’s ministry, coaching and playing church softball, as well as ministering to new moms by delivering baby’s first Bibles for many years.
It was love at first sight when Doug first saw Carolyn at Elyton Baptist Church and he made it known he would marry her one day, which came to pass 60 years ago this last April. During their marriage, they created wonderful memories of love and generosity. Their favorite pastimes were dancing together, keeping church nursery together, going out to dinner and spending time with family and friends. They tenderly loved and supported each other through their respective medical conditions, both tenacious and brave. Doug and Carolyn will be deeply missed.
A Celebration of Life service for both Doug and Carolyn will be held on Friday, July 14, 2023 at Vestavia Hills Baptist Church. Visitation starts at 10:00 with the service set to begin at 11:30. In lieu of flowers, please go do something fun with your family and friends, celebrate life, and if you remember, make a toast to Carolyn and Doug.
There will be a joint service for Doug and Carolyn at Vestavia Hills Baptist Church on July 14, 2023 with Visitation from 10 to 11:30 AM and a service at 11:30AM.
Click here for a link to their complete obituaries and details of their memorial service.
