Helen
Sutherland, mother of BSU student Thomas Sutherland, passed away shortly after
her 77th birthday. She was a respected and beloved mother of three sons and grandmother
of two boys. She believed in pursuing her dreams and would have been one
of the first female airline pilots back in the 50s if her father had not forced
her to drop out of flying lessons because he thought it was not “proper” for a
woman to be a pilot. She began work for Eastern Airlines in the early 1950s.
Company policy prohibited flight attendants from being married (or pregnant) back
then and she was fired when the company found out she was married and expecting
a baby. |  |
She
gave birth to twin boys and later another son before returning to the airlines
with Pan American Airways. She eventually accumulated three decades of airline
experience. Divorced before her children started school; one of the things we
remember most about her is how hard she worked to make sure we were always safe
with a roof over our heads. Helen loved animals; before her children were
born, she had a monkey, lots of song birds, and an iguana. The monkey got jealous
when we were born and was adopted by another family. She also loved birds. One
year when we had chickens, one of the chicks grew into a rooster. Mom would go
out each morning before sunrise and bring the rooster inside so it wouldn’t disturb
the neighbors. The rooster would be allowed back outside after 8 am when the neighbors
had left for work. Later she raised emus on her property in Texas. After the
airline industry she continued to work for a rental car agency and, later, a retirement
home. She always found satisfaction in bringing joy and comfort to other peoples’
lives. She lived the last six years of her life in a nursing home after suffering
a stroke during recovery from brain surgery. She was tended by a cadre of nurses
in care facilities in Texas, Colorado, and Idaho. She was always a loving person
and her beautiful smile warmed the hearts of those around her. One of her nurses
told me a couple of days before she died that Mom made her feel so good about
coming to work. Yes, that sounds like Mom. Because of the affectionate care
she received from skilled health professionals, and the knowledge that there is
a looming nursing shortage in our nation, Helen's sons have decided to establish
a nursing scholarship in order to honor her life and spirit. This scholarship
is designed for single parents seeking a nursing degree at Boise State University,
with preference given to single mothers. She is survived by three sons: Bill and
John who live near Houston, Texas, and Tom, who lives in Boise, Idaho, and two
grandsons in Texas. If you would like more information about the scholarship
or you would like to contribute to the endowment, contact: Helen Sutherland Nursing
Scholarship, attn: Jennifer Neil, 2225 W. University Drive, Boise, Idaho 83706
(208) 426-2927 or Tom Sutherland 12661 N. Schicks Ridge Road, Boise, Idaho 83714
(208) 229-2202. |
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