He leaves behind his mother, Shirley Sutherland, his brothers, Philip Sutherland and Kurt Sutherland, and sisters, Charlotte Tawfick (Sutherland) and Nanette Almquist (Sutherland), as well as many members of the extended family.
As a child, Tom was an excellent student. He attended “Gymnasium” at Schuldorf Bergstraße in Seeheim, Germany, and after moving to the United States with his family, he graduated from Eisenhower High School in Hopkins in 1981. He then studied international trade at the University of Minnesota and later computer and information sciences at Anoka-Ramsey Community College.
While he successfully held various jobs for some time, he had great difficulty making the transition to self-sufficiency. He began to use drugs, which adversely affected his mental health and behavior. Despite many interventions on the part of family members and professionals, despite countless emergencies over many years, Tom was never able to break a self-destructive pattern of drug addiction and mental illness and lived on the street for months at a time.
Despite his many hardships, Tom was cheerful and had a great sense of humor. When his parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, he wrote, “The marriage was made in heaven. One didn’t like to cook, and the other didn’t like to drive.”
In a way, Tom was too good for this world. His mother describes him as a “kind, thoughtful child” who was “always very sensitive to others’ hurts.” He called her almost every day to make sure she was okay and because he knew that she was worried about him. And on her 90th birthday, he found the right words to honor her.
His death inspires those he left behind to make the world a kinder, gentler, and better place – for everyone.
A private service will be held at Morningside Memorial Gardens, Coon Rapids, Minnesota, on July 16, 2021.
Donations to the Dorothy Day Center or Union Gospel Mission can be made in lieu of gifts to the family.
