Doris Ann Sutherland

Doris Ann McBride Sutherland was born July 22, 1935 in Somers, Montana. She spent her summers on the shores of Flathead Lake and went to high school at Flathead High School in Kalispell, Montana where she met the love of her life at the age of 14. She married Kenneth Ian Sutherland after graduating from high school and worked supporting Ken through college and his medical education and training. They eventually settled in Spokane, Washington where Ken went into practice as a cardiologist founding Spokane Cardiology. Doris devoted her time to raising their four children as a room mother, Campfire Girl leader, Sunday school teacher, and enthusiastic cheerleader at sporting events. Summers were spent returning to Montana to visit family and at Priest Lake at their cabin. Education was important to her, and eventually Doris returned to EWU earning a degree in English literature and and a teaching certificate. Both she and her husband were long standing members of Hamblen Park Presbyterian Church, where Doris served as an elder and Sunday school teacher. In their retirement years, Mom and Dad enjoyed vacationing in Hawaii each year and traveling to Europe, Australia, Africa, and throughout the US. Mom loved travel and sightseeing, reading, plays, card games especially bridge, swimming, chocolate, Chardonnay wine, Jeopardy, football, Gonzaga basketball, and coffee with her friends at Starbucks.She hated cold winters and camping. Her number one priority, however, was always her family, and she was a steadfast presence in our lives. She was greatly loved and will be greatly missed.

Doris was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, Kenneth, and her granddaughter Mackenzie Ann Nesbitt. She is survived by her four children, Janet (Tim) Chestnut, Robin (Andy) Hammer, Scott (Susie) Sutherland, and Sandy (Mike) Nesbitt, 11 grandchildren (Sheena, Ian, Brendan, Catherine, Alex, Drew, Allison, Maddy, Zach, Will, and Gatlin), 5 great grandchildren (Dylan McBride, Joshua, Hallie, Jacob, Beckham and Liam).

A Celebration of Life will be held next summer. If you wish to honor Doris’s life, please consider a donation to one of her favorite charities: Alex’s Lemonade Stand (for neuroblastoma research), the Rockwood Foundation’s Resident Endowment Fund, Hamblen Park Presbyterian Church, or the Union Gospel Mission.