MARY-LOUISE LYNDE SUTHERLAND (M-L)

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MARY-LOUISE LYNDE SUTHERLAND

Mary-Louise passed away peacefully in hospital, with her son Graham by her side, on February 22, 2021, at the age of 100.
The third daughter of Frederick Nighswander and Harriette Betts she was predeceased by her parents, two elder sisters, Nina and Helen, and her husband John Graham (Jack) Sutherland. Remembering her with love and affection are her younger sister Betts, children, Anne (Gordon Boal), Graham, and Leslie (Ron Samuels), grandchildren, Melissa and Lindsay, Robert, Michael, Alexandre (and their mother Jocelyne), Jennifer and Andy (and their father David), and seven great-grandchildren.
Mary-Louise was born on September 27, 1920 in Kenora, Ontario, into a musical family. Mary-Louise or M-L as she was known, moved often as her father was a station master for CPR throughout his career. Many of her formative years were spent in Saskatchewan, the Okanagan and Manitoba. Singing, piano lessons, musicals of all descriptions and competitions were the order of the day for M-L and her sisters resulting in innumerable certificates, awards and trophies. All four girls achieved their ARCT from the Royal Conservatory of Music by the end of the 1930s.
On arrival in Winnipeg, M-L entered United College of the University of Manitoba where she completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma of Education. United College held a special place in her heart and she joyously attended class reunions up to and including her 60th reunion in 2001. During university days "free time" was spent at the University of Manitoba Glee Club and it was there that she met her future husband Jack as Sir Rutheven Murgatroyd to her Mad Margaret in the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta Ruddigore. Reviews of the day singled out M-L for her musical and acting abilities while noting that Jack "improved somewhat" during the run of the show.
Following graduation, while waiting for Jack to complete his degree, M-L moved to Toronto where she was involved in the music scene, including solo recitals as a pupil of Alberto Guerrero, of the Toronto Conservatory of Music, frequent performances on CBC radio and teaching at Havergal College.
On September 6, 1947 Jack and Mary-Louise married in Toronto and moved to Montreal where they lived for the next 24 years and raised their three children. As the norm of the day, M-L did not "work outside" the home but that did not mean she was idle. She continued with several runs of various Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, completed her ARCT in organ, and was a founding/charter member of the University Women's Club of the West Island (and president during Expo '67). In addition, she was a long time accompanist of the Cedar Park Elementary School choirs and was the accompanist for the annual Royal Academy of Dance examinations. Playing for the RAD exams in the presence of the British visiting dance examiners was the only thing that truly terrorized her! An inveterate reader she always had two or three books on the go and preferred to choose an author and read everything that he or she had written before moving on to the next. Summers and holidays found M-L and family at the treasured island cottage at Lac Gagnon. A master gardener, gourmet cook and hostess she loved her home and community which provided her friendship and support as throughout these years Jack travelled the world for his work, often being away for long stretches of up to six months at a time.
In 1971, Jack, Mary-Louise, Graham and Leslie moved to Tehran, Iran for three years as Jack assumed the position of President of RCA Iran. A truly fabulous experience M-L again immersed herself in the community by joining the Canadians Women's Club, volunteering at the Iranzamin High School library while becoming proficient in spoken and written Farsi.
Returning to Canada in 1974 M-L and Jack spent the next 40 years in Pointe Claire, Quebec and Etobicoke, Ontario. Music continued to be a big part of her life and she participated and led various choral groups and choirs well into her 90s. She also relished the many overseas trips taken to over 20 countries throughout this time. She often noted that she was truly blessed to have had a full 28 years of healthy happy fulsome years of retirement with Jack before he passed away in 2014. M-L's final years were spent in the care and comfort of Chartwell Scarlett Heights, Etobicoke and Sunrise of Dollard des Ormeaux where she enjoyed her books and piano, happily welcomed visits from children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren especially if such visits were accompanied by chocolate. The last chocolate associated visit occurred on February 14 of this year.
Cremation and private family funeral have taken place. For those wishing to remember Mary-Louise, donations to the St. George's on the Hill, Toronto, Ontario at http://www.stgeorgesonthehill.ca would be gratefully received.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 06, 2021