Mary Sutherland Obituary

Mary Therese Sutherland

Mary Therese (McMullen) Sutherland was practically perfect in every way. Born Sept. 17, 1959, in Cleveland, to Francis and Theresa (Calabrese) McMullen, she was the youngest of five children, Frank (Brigitte) McMullen, Gail (Gary) Noel, Chuck McMullen, and Ray (Angela) McMullen.

While studying Nursing at Bowling Green State University, she met Terry Sutherland, a computer science major, who convinced her that she had a real future in, coincidentally, computer science. They fell in love, and they remain in love. Mary and Terry married June 20, 1981, and moved to Findlay, where they both worked at Marathon until they retired in 2012. They were bound together in their love for the Cleveland Indians, although it is a fact that Mary loved them just a bit more than Terry did.

Mary and Terry built a life in Findlay caring for every person they encountered and gathering "found" family in their Monday night Bible Study, Life Groups, Thursday Lunch Group, Mary's devoted Coffee Girls, BGSU Volleyball team, and so many others who will never be defined just as friends.

Mary is survived by three children, but would have insisted this read "seven," to appropriately account for her love of her sons- and daughters-in-law, Jay (Caryn) Sutherland, of Alvada, Kelly (Aaron) Cheney, of Findlay, Lauren (Alex) TenEyck of Oregon, Ohio, and Courtney Cole. If it was possible for her love to reach max capacity, it did for her grandchildren, Hannah, Caleb and Levi Sutherland, Addyson and Ella Cheney and Wyatt and Cooper TenEyck.

Mary counted her brothers- and sisters-in-law as true brothers and sisters. She will always be the proudest aunt of over 30 nieces and nephews and could easily rattle off their birthdays and their children's birthdays at any moment.

Mary was everyone's mom, and everyone's sister, and everyone's friend. If you were in her presence, you were family, and she made certain you believed that you were her favorite.

She was made entirely of love and goodness, which radiated through her ever-present sparkling smile, healing hugs for all, and the most exceptional bread, chocolate cake, and pasta this world has ever known. To know our Practically Perfect Mary was to love her, be loved by her, and also to be fed by her.

The cornerstone of the Sutherland family has always been love, and that love was named Mary.

Donations can be made in Mary's name to Arthritis Foundation or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Visitation will be 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7, 2024 at COLDREN-CRATES FUNERAL HOME, 205 W. Sandusky Street, Findlay, Ohio, 45840. An additional hour of visitation will occur Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, from 10 a.m. until the celebration of her beautiful life at 11 a.m. at Gateway Church, 9555 County Road 9, Findlay.

Online condolences may be shared with Mary's family at coldrencrates.com.