After a life of love and quiet grace, George Dutton of Dallas, TX has passed.
Here is what mattered, in the years between the dates.
George held deeply to the Latter-day Saints faith — and was, by all accounts, loved by those who knew him best.
Some find their compass in faith. George was among them.
Kimzie George Dutton, known lovingly as George, Dad, Mr. Dutton, and Papa George, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at the age of 85. Born on July 14, 1940, in Springtown, Texas, to Mable Martha Cheatham Dutton and Albert Kimzie Dutton, George was a man who lived with purpose, warmth, and a boundless love for the people around him.
George grew up on the land, helping his parents tend their farm and run their roadside fruit stand. Those formative years rooted in him a deep love of the natural world: what was growing in the fields, the name of every tree along the fence line, the way a river looked when the fish were biting. He carried a pocketknife his entire life, always ready to cut an apple, remove a splinter, or fix a loose wire. He was, in every sense of the word, prepared.
In 1968, much to his family's chagrin, George left the countryside for "the city" when he married the love of his life, Linda Faye Merrill, "the cutest redhead," as he always called her. On their honeymoon, driving through Yellowstone National Park, they rounded a bend, saw the Yellowstone River gleaming below them, and spotted the fish rising. They pulled over, waded in, and fly fished together in the river. It was, in many ways, the perfect beginning. They went on to share 57 years of marriage, marked by deep companionship, shared adventure, and a love George never stopped expressing.
George spent 40 years as an industrial arts teacher in Dallas ISD, shaping the lives of thousands of middle school students. He took extraordinary pride in his record: not one student ever lost a finger in his shop, and neither did he! But his investment in young people extended far beyond the classroom. He was a devoted leader in the Boy Scouts of America, serving troops through both his church and the Dallas Police Storefront program. His son, Daniel, earned the rank of Eagle Scout, and George helped many others along the path. He designed a spring break curriculum that took middle schoolers on a camping trip to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, introducing countless young people to building a fire, sleeping under the stars, and the beauty of nature.
George's love of the outdoors and camping was one of his greatest gifts to his family. He passed it on to most of his children, and the others tolerated it with good humor. Whether it was identifying every crop in a passing field, pointing out a willow tree from the highway, or pulling over to fly fish on a moment's notice, he made the natural world feel like home. He also taught his children, with complete authority, that brown cows are the source of chocolate milk.
George never met a stranger. His family joked that whenever they found him deep in conversation beside the car with someone new, he'd "met another relative." He had a gift for making people feel seen and welcomed, a quality that made him beloved by students, scouts, neighbors, and strangers alike.
George is survived by his beloved wife, Linda Faye Merrill Dutton (80); his five children, Catherine (49), Deborah (47), Daniel (45), Elizabeth (43), and Alice (41); and eleven grandchildren: Amelia, Rebecca, Benjamin, Oliver, Noah, Lucy, Amerlia, London, Rhett, Elinor, Simon, & Naomi. He is preceded in death by his parents and brothers, William and Albert Dutton.
Family was George's greatest pride and his eternal purpose. He was fiercely devoted to his children and grandchildren, and he loved Linda with his whole heart, always placing her above all else. He leaves behind a legacy not of things, but of people shaped, guided, and deeply loved by him.
A memorial service will be held at 4:00 PM on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 10701 E Lake Highlands Dr, Dallas, TX 75218. His wife welcomes flowers, which may be delivered to the service address between 2:00 and 4:00 PM on May 7.
