Stephen T. Sutherland

Stephen Terry Sutherland, 59, of Stevensville, passed away Saturday, May 20, 2006 at Lakeland Hospital in St. Joseph, after a long battle with leukemia. Friends may call from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, at Kerley-Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home, 2650 Niles Road St. Joseph. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday at the Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Leukemia Foundation. Final resting place will be at Hickory Bluff Cemetery, Stevensville, MI. . Friends may send there condolences at the guest book at www.starks-menchinger. com Stephen was born February 3, 1947, in St. Joseph, MI, to Verland and Mary (Spellman) Sutherland. In July of 1966, he married Virgie Phillips in St. Joseph. Stephen was employed with the former Bendix/Allied Signal now Bosch, having retired in 1996 after 30 years of service. He is survived by his wife, Virgie ; his two children, Tina (Daryl) Pendergrass of St. Joseph, and Tony (Kelly) Sutherland of Coloma; a son-in-law, John Spitzer of Baroda; seven grandchildren, Dusty, Ashley, Jay, Stephen, Morgan, Brandon and Blane; one great grandson, Alexis; brothers, David (Dorothy) Sutherland of Benton Harbor, and Richard Story of St. Petersburg, FL; a sister, Debbie (George) Rosenthal of St. Joseph; brother-in-law, Harold (Sandy) Phillips of Benton Harbor; sister-in-laws, Karen (George) Rathgeb of Eau Claire, and Shelia (Buddy) Poe of Benton Harbor; and nieces and nephews. Stephen is preceded in death by his parents-Verland and Mary, a daughter-Lori Lynn Sutherland (1997), and a brother-Keith Sutherland.