John Walter Sutherland, 84, of Topeka, passed away Saturday, April 22, 2023.
He was born February 21, 1939, in Topeka, Kansas, the son of John B. and Maxine L. (Turvey) Sutherland. He graduated from Burlingame High School in 1956 and received a bachelor's of arts degree from Washburn in 1961, his LLM from the University of Missouri Kansas City and his Juris Doctor from Washburn Law School in 1964.
John was employed as a professor at Central Missouri State for 34 years, retiring as professor emeritus in 2001.
Dr. Sutherland was a member of the Washburn Alumni Association and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon.
John married Karol J. Johnson in 1957; they later divorced. He leaves behind his son Jeffrey Allen Sutherland of Topeka; grandchildren Christine Sutherland of Weatherford, TX and John Ross Sutherland of Kansas City, MO; sister Lynn Bradshaw of Topeka and brother Max Sutherland (Penny) of Topeka. He was preceded in death by his parents and his son, John Scott Sutherland.
He is also survived by his partner of seventeen years, Lama Alhezayen. He was previously married to Nancy Crooks and J.P. Burke; he was a father figure to all of his stepchildren and considered them to be his own.
John enjoyed reading, fishing, cooking, traveling, teaching and collecting antiques. He was a fan of sports in general – especially the Kansas City Chiefs.
Per his wish, John was cremated. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the Washburn University Foundation for the Washburn University Law School, 1729 SW MacVicar Avenue, Topeka, KS 66604 or the Topeka Rescue Mission, Inc. PO Box 8350, Topeka, KS 66608-0350.
Dove Cremations and Funerals Southwest Chapel is assisting the family.
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