Nicholas Daniel Sutherland

May 4, 1938 - April 9, 2025

Nicholas Daniel Sutherland was born on May 4, 1938, in Hamilton, Montana, to Dorothy Anne Sutherland (née Hefner) and Daniel Edwin Sutherland. Nick was the eldest of seven Sutherland siblings in Corvallis, Montana. During high school, he played saxophone as leader of his band, "The Downbeats" for dances across the Bitterroot Valley. He was the valedictorian of Corvallis High School, Class of 1956. He earned a scholarship to attend Montana State University but decided to join the U.S. Air Force with dreams of playing saxophone in the Air Force band. An aptitude test sent him on a different career trajectory where he learned Mandarin Chinese, at Yale University, and became fluent in reading, writing, and speaking the language.

Nick had an adventurous spirit. He rode his motorcycle across the country on long road trips including a trip to Big Bend National Park and Mexico. He designed and inked his own Chinese dragon tattoo on his left arm. He climbed to the top of Mt. Fuji in Japan. He rarely spent money on himself with the exception for books and was an avid reader his entire life like his mother. During his travels, he regularly sent home gifts to his family in Montana, and his siblings remember his many kindnesses. While stationed in Taiwan, he met the love of his life, Kuei-Mei Chuang. They married on May 22, 1972, and had one daughter, Tracey, in 1974. They were utterly devoted to one another and inseparable during their nearly 53 years of marriage and the more than 55 years they spent together.

Nick retired from the U.S. Air Force as a Chief Master Sargeant with nearly 30 years of service in Intelligence. He was proud to have served his country. His last assignment brought him to Lackland AFB in San Antonio, Texas, where he retired. During retirement, he spent most of his time at his wife's shop, Kuei-Mei's Beauty Salon, as the receptionist, chief storyteller, part-time comedian, accountant, business manager, and more. He considered the customers at the shop to be family, and he enjoyed spending every moment working beside his beloved wife.

In 1998, he welcomed Charlie as his son-in-law, and they shared a very close bond. He loved being Papa to his three grandchildren. Some of his fondest memories included picking his grandchildren up from St. Luke Catholic School, where he was dubbed the leader of the "grandparent gang" and was beloved by the teachers, administration, staff, and families from the community. His grandchildren were the absolute light of his life.

As a lifelong learner, Nick had no shortage of hobbies, and he enjoyed reading, cooking, languages, astrology, religion, history, accounting, and more. He was a genuinely kind and generous man, who would cut out articles, jokes, and cartoons from the newspaper to give to others to brighten their day. He always made time to listen to others and treated everyone he encountered with respect and kindness.

He never once complained of the many medical illnesses that impacted his later years. The family would like to thank the wonderful medical doctors, nurses, and staff at Wilford Hall, BAMC, University Hospital, Methodist Westover Hills, Main Methodist, and PAM Warm Springs in San Antonio for their tremendous care and support, especially during the past decade. He was a strong fighter and repeatedly overcame the odds much to the marvel of his medical teams. He lived his life to the fullest. He was the absolute best son, brother, husband, daddy, father-in-law, Papa, and friend. We were all lucky to have such a wonderful person in our lives. He passed away peacefully at 10:55 a.m. (Central) on April 9, surrounded by his beloved family.

He was preceded in death by his father, Daniel Edwin Sutherland; his mother, Dorothy Anne (Hefner) Sutherland; his brothers, Jonathan Gene Sutherland, Ladd Anthony Sutherland, Stephen Lane Sutherland, and Brian William Sutherland. He is survived by his loving wife and best friend, Kuei-Mei Sutherland; his only daughter, Tracey Mary Sutherland Whelan and his son-in-law, Charlie Whelan; his three grandchildren, Nicholas Robert Emmett Whelan, Fiona Mei Whelan, and Moira Lusetta Whelan; his niece, Carol Chuang and her husband Joe Cheng and their son, Ethan Cheng; his only sister, Pamela Hanson and his brother-in-law, Gary Hanson; his brother, Kit Sutherland and his sister-in-law, Sue Sutherland; his sister-in-law, Monica Sutherland (Brian); Brad and Dagmar (Jonathan) Higginbotham; the Chuang family; many nieces and nephews; and many friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in his honor to Brook Army Medical Center, ATTN: Gift Coordinator, 3551 Roger Brooke Drive, Fort Sam Houston, Texas 78234. A graveside service with military honors will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 28, at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, 1520 Harry Wurzbach Rd., San Antonio, Texas 78209.