Grant Sutherland
November 6, 1944 – January 14, 2023
Hearts are heavy to announce the passing of Grant Sutherland, who passed peacefully with family by his side. Grant was a compassionate, spontaneous and loyal soul who could warm your heart with his smile and generous nature. Grant lived in the silver linings of dementia, not allowing the disease to hold him back from his best life. He let nothing slow him down and continued to love having adventures.
Grant was born and raised in Kenora along with his older brother, John “Jackie”, and his twin, Garry. The three boys had a fantastic bond that carried through into their senior years. Sharing stories of their “wilder days” always brought smiles and laughter to everyone who heard. They loved the game of hockey and were also quite skilled when they laced up their skates. Once Grant had children, he happily coached their hockey teams. From spontaneous cross-country road trips to deep conversations over coffee, the three brothers always made time for each other.
In 1968 Grant married his partner in life, Wendy. They soon became parents to their first son, Aaron. Enjoying the journey of parenthood, they had their second son, Wade. To complete the next generation of a brotherly Sutherland trio, they then had Rodney. As you can imagine, the small house in Rideout was a whirlwind with three young boys so Grant and Wendy bought a house in the country where they would continue to make memories for the next 40+ years. He was and always will be their biggest and proudest supporter.
Grant chose his career path to be with Abitibi as a papermaker. During his 30+ years with Abitibi he climbed the ladder and wore many hats (which explains his literal mountain-sized collection of hats at home). He enjoyed the adventures of the many work trips he went on throughout Canada and the U.S., the many friendships that he made and even sacrificed a big toe while working there! When Abitibi decided to close its doors in the early 2000’s, he opted for the luxurious life of early retirement. This chapter of his journey included spending even more quality time with family, his many grandkids and testing out his lucky horseshoe at bingo (it was very lucky!).
Another part of his journey as a parent was having the opportunity to raise his first grandchild, Taija, with Wendy by his side. Keeping up with a toddler in your 40’s was no easy feat but the connection he created with her was undeniably worth the long nights and temper tantrums. Having a little sidekick to take on road trips, football and hockey games again helped fill the future retirement days with fun and laughter. From her perspective over the last 30 years, he was unparalleled with his ability to forgive and his compassion for others. The life lessons he taught were some that formed the foundation of who she became and the best parts of him can carry on within the four children he raised.
Grant is joining his mother and father, Ethel and Hugh Sutherland, and his older brother, Jackie, on the next chapter of his journey. The friends and family continuing to enjoy loving memories of Grant are his wife, Wendy; his brother, Garry; his three sons: Aaron, Wade and Rod; his grandchildren: Taija, Terryll, Jordin, Nich, Andrew, Bailey, Zach, Sara and Liam as well as his niece, several nephews and cousins.
A ceremony to celebrate Grant’s life will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to UNICEF, an organization Grant was passionate to support for many years. A special thank you to the staff at Gardner Building for brightening Grant’s life day-to-day and to the nurses on 3 East and in Palliative Care that gave him the care and dignity he deserved in his final days.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.brownfuneralhomekenora.com for the Sutherland family.