Dan Sutherland

Dan Sutherland age 90 of Red Oak, Texas passed away December 26, 2022. He was born March 19, 1932, in McKinney, Texas to the late Owen J. and Jesse (Davis) Sutherland. At the age of 14, he began working as a service station attendant, graduating from Red Oak High School, Class of 1949. He attended machinist school at Arlington State College receiving an Associate Degree in Mechanical Engineering. In 1952 he joined the US Army and served as a machine shop instructor and machinist. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal, and the United Nations Service Medal. He was honorably discharged from active duty in 1955, serving another eight years in the Army Reserve. After the army, he returned to Arlington State College to study Mechanical Engineering. During this time, he began working for Larkin Packer Company as a draftsman and tool designer. He then continued his mechanical engineering studies at Texas Tech. Combine his college education included various electronic, digital, and programmable controllers’ courses. He then worked as a tool designer for Guiberson Corp. and furthered his career as a design engineer with Campbell Taggart in 1959. His work experience included developing several patents; his principal duties consisted of design, layout, freehand details, shop coordination, electrical and pneumatic controls, debugging and plant installation of special conveyors, machines, and automatic equipment from basic concepts to actual production runs. He was a long-time member of First Baptist Church Red Oak; he served as a Councilman for the City of Red Oak from 1960 to 1970. He was a 16-year member of the Red Oak Lions Club and served the City of Red Oak as a certified volunteer fireman, becoming Assistant Chief in 1970. With the fire department, he designed and helped build several trucks, designed, and assembled remote controlled alerting systems and designed and helped erect a 4800 square-foot fire station, he also worked on numerous custom home plans and church designs. After his retirement, he embraced farming and gardening; spending seven years remodeling an old farmhouse built in 1904, with a cedar tree in the front yard thought to be planted when the home was built, as an enduring sign to the local Native Americans that the family was peaceful to trade with. With few exceptions, he did most of the remodel work of the home himself. On the farm he raised Barbados blackbelly sheep and was locally known for his tomatoes, which he sold on the honor system under the carport at the house. The family recalls many memorable trips to destinations including Niagara Falls, Las Vegas and to Branson, Missouri to see his lifelong friend Boxcar Willie. Dan was a quiet individual and often enjoyed sitting working jigsaw puzzles. He always had a positive attitude and was always very agreeable.

He is proceeded in death by his parents Owen J. and Jesse Sutherland; his first wife Gloria Ann (McClung) Sutherland and brother Davis Sutherland.

He is survived by loving wife Melva Sutherland of Red Oak; children: Danny Sutherland, Jr. of Ferris, Lynne and husband David Watson of Red Oak, Jay and Lisa Sutherland of Waxahachie and Colby Lemon of Red Oak; six grandchildren: Amanda Hollenback, Alyssa Cox, Tanner Sutherland, Breanna Sutherland, Miranda Sutherland, Tristan Daniel Sutherland; great-grandchildren: Addie, Mason, Cason and Landon; sister Marilyn Mock of Joplin, Missouri.

Visitation will be 6:00-8:00 PM Friday, December 30, 2022, at Green Funeral Home Red Oak, Texas.

Graveside service will be 3:00 PM Saturday, December 31, 2022, at Red Oak Cemetery, Red Oak, Texas. Pastor James Schoenrock and Pastor Jared Douglas officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Dan’s honor to the Wounded Warriors Project: www.woundedwarriorproject.org

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