Richard (Dick) Nutting , retired sheriff of Tuolumne County, CA and retired Lieutenant Commander of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in the Sonora Area, passed away peacefully in his home in Yuma, AZ on 1/21/2026 at the age of 90.
Dick was known by his friends and family as being intelligent, humorous, kind, thoughtful, and loyal. He was a man of high integrity and foresight. He adored his wife, Leetta, and they had recently celebrated 70 years of marriage together with family.
Dick was born 6/28/1935 in Eureka, CA to Don and Aileen Nutting. He moved to Sabastopol, CA as a child, and it was there that he met and married Leetta.
Dick was a dedicated law enforcement officer. He served with the California Highway Patrol for 27 years and retired as Lieutenant Commander of the Sonora area in 1988. He then served as Sheriff of Tuolumne County, CA for 2 terms from 1/1991 to 12/1998. He received a BA in Justice Administration and a MA In Public Affairs through Golden Gate University during his career with the CHP.
Dad was known for his leadership, integrity, and community involvement. He was a long time member and president of the Sonora Kiwanis Club, life member of the Elks, member of the Sonora Motion Picture Association promoting Tuolumne county, and trail master for the 10-10 travel club. He was involved in county level emergency planning and operations for disasters as well as search and rescue operations for both the CHP and sheriff departments. After retirement, Richard and Leetta enjoyed extensive traveling. He enjoyed boating, fishing, playing golf, and reading.
Dick is survived by his wife, Leetta Nutting; his four children: Donald Nutting, David Nutting, Dale Nutting, and Leanne Carrillo; 7 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. He will be greatly missed. He did not desire to have a memorial service. A small reception for close family/friends will be held at a future date. You are invited to share memories or condolences in the "guest book" below.