It is with great sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of William St. John Sutherland in the early morning of Friday, February 25th, 2022. He was with his three girls and listening to his favourite album, The Best of Bob Dylan.
Bill was born September 22nd, 1949 in Fort William to Malcolm and Ruth Sutherland. He was the youngest of three boys. He was always incredibly proud to tell anyone he was from Westfort, specifically, East Christina Street. He excelled at all things athletic, especially baseball.
Among many of his accomplishments he was the first Canadian to receive a full baseball scholarship to a Big-10 Conference school, and would break out into the University of Minnesota fight song whenever he felt it was appropriate (which was all the time). He was a proud Golden Gopher.
Unfortunately, a shoulder injury derailed his baseball career. But, after his time in Minnesota, he returned to Thunder Bay to continue his studies receiving both a Bachelor and a Masters Degree in Education. He met the love of his life and best friend, Leslie, in 1975 and after a ten-month courtship, they were married. It was Bill's sense of humour that attracted Leslie, and they shared many laughs and wonderful times together. It was this sense of humour that kept their marriage strong throughout their 45 years together. Bill and Leslie had two daughters, Lindsay and Heather, who he loved so much and was so proud to be their dad. They enjoyed many summers in the motorhome travelling to Blue Lake, Wisconsin Dells, as well as other camp grounds. Once they moved to Broadway Avenue, they traded in their motorhome for an in-ground pool which served as the summer meeting place for family and friends.
Throughout his career he had many job titles, including teacher, probation officer, curriculum developer, and lastly, Station Manager at TransCanada Pipelines. However, he remained a teacher at heart and sought job opportunities that involved education. This love of teaching was evident in his love of coaching as well. His love of all sports and physical activity influenced many young, local athletes in many sports.
In 1997, Bill developed an auto-immune disease which altered the next 25 years of his life. Ever the optimist and fighter, he channeled the discipline that had helped him run 7 marathons and countless May Long Ten-Milers into maintaining his mobility and independence however he could. It is this discipline and sheer perseverance that gave him these last 25 years. When looking for books and reading material to inspire and motivate him to persevere, he found none. This led him to writing his own story “Acceptance is Not Surrender” in the hopes of inspiring others to continue to fight their fights. He achieved his goal, and received feedback from many individuals who read his book and were inspired.
Bill is survived by his wife, Leslie, his two daughters Lindsay (Adam) Exley and Heather (Ryan) McDonnell, grandchildren Charlotte and Alexander Exley, his brother Syd (Lorna) Sutherland, sisters in-law Sandra Jarvis and Susan (Kevin) Wicklund as well as his nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his ‘Best Little Buddy', Teddy. He is pre-deceased by his parents Ruth and Malcolm, his brother John Sutherland and In-laws Marjorie and William Sinfield.
Throughout his illness, Bill encountered many physicians, nurses, physiotherapists and health care providers who were always impressed with his determination, resilience and strength. We are very grateful to all of you for the care he has always received. We'd especially like to thank Dr. Jennifer Atwood at the Fort William Family Health Team, Dr. Biman and Dr. Hassan.
During this final battle, after 25 years of fighting his way back from the edge, there was finally no more ‘coming back' for self-proclaimed ‘Comeback Kid'. We'd like to thank Dr. Mofid and the MCTU team for their compassion and consideration of quality of life and Bill's wishes, the kind RN's in the TBRHSC Emergency Department, the Patient Care Liaisons (Lori and Maria), Robert from Palliative Care and lastly Dr. Migay and the wonderful nurses at the Hospice Unit at St. Joseph's Hospital (Nadia, Kelly, Nicole and Katie-RN student) for making sure Bill's last hours were comfortable. It brings his wife and daughters comfort knowing that he is finally in peace and his long fight is over. As Bob Dylan wrote in Bill's favourite song, Forever Young:
May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung
And may you stay forever young
Wherever you are Billy, we hope you're out for a run. We'll see you on the road!
Cremation has taken place. A Celebration of Life will be held in the spring. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Habitat for Humanity, Our Kids Count or a charity of your choice.
Condolences may be made through www.nwfainc.com
