Ann DeStefano Sutherland

Ann DeStefano Sutherland passed away peacefully with her loving family by her side on February 1. She was 74 years old. Daughter of the late John and Marie (Pellegrino) DeStefano, she was born in Rahway, NJ. Ann was an award-winning video producer and president of Sutherland Media Productions. Left to cherish her memory are her husband, Joseph P. Sutherland, son Stephen Sutherland and his wife, Natalie, of California and grandson, Nicholas. Also survived by siblings Joan DeStefano of New Jersey and John DeStefano (Lori) of Massachusetts, as well as Ann's sisters-in-law Mary Sutherland and Fran Spaeder, both of Chevy Chase.

Ann was a true Jersey Girl . . . with Italian roots. Family was everything to Ann. Her happiest moments were celebrating with the DeStefano-Pellegrino clans and the Jersey Shore (Long Beach Island) was heaven to her. She was strong, courageous, smart and loyal. She never riled and could handle any problem calmly and with grace. She inherited those traits from her parents, John and Marie . John, a retired detective in Rahway, was 18 and survived landing at Omaha Beach in Normandy on June 6, 1944, with the 29th Infantry. He was badly wounded a month later fighting near St. Lo. Ann's mom, Marie, was a brilliant, lovely woman. She worked for several companies in NYC after graduation from college and eventually found her true calling, teaching and counseling at St. Mary's School in Rahway, Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains, NJ and finally, Cranford High School, also in New Jersey. Ann said it best just a few months ago on the 25th anniversary of Marie's death: "She was a force to be reckoned with. Daughter of Italian immigrants, graduate of Brown University which she attended on scholarship, and teacher and counselor to thousands of young people in New Jersey throughout her 50 years working in education. But most importantly, loving wife to my dad, mother to my siblings and I, grandmother to 4 and now, in absentia, great-grandmother to 3. It's been a long time - we continue to miss her every day."

Ann attended parochial school in Rahway (her mom was her teacher one year), Mother Seton High School nearby in Clark, NJ and then the University of Dayton in Ohio. Her goal was to be involved in broadcasting. She earned a degree in communications at Dayton, working as the education editor of the student newspaper and reporter and DJ at the nearby radio station WVUD, a 50,000-watt station that was heard throughout southwest Ohio. She returned to the East Coast in 1972, having earned a degree with honors and a job offer from ABC Television. She also returned with a boyfriend . . . Joe Sutherland . . . not an Italian kid, but half-Italian. The two met at a campus party in January 1970, started dating a year later and were married in 1974 by Rev. Norbert Burns, a Dayton priest who had a weekly radio show that Ann produced on the Theology of Marriage.

Following their marriage, Ann and Joe settled temporarily in central Westchester County, not far from the train station that brought Ann down to ABC each morning; and Joe drove north each day to his job as a reporter with newspapers in Newburgh and Beacon. In 1975, Joe was asked to come to DC to serve as the press assistant to the local congressman he had covered. It was a tough decision as Ann was on a fast track at the network, but they decided to make the transition. With Ann's dad's help, they loaded up the U-Haul truck and moved to DC. The pair found a wonderful, tiny apartment on 35th Street in Georgetown and they became Washingtonians. Ann found a job immediately with a congressman from New Jersey, and after a year went to work for the Aluminum Association in public affairs as the organization's video coordinator. From there, a few years later, she and a friend and mentor, Ed Scherer, began Scherer-Sutherland Video Productions. Ann thrived as a producer of videos for various businesses, philanthropies and unions. Following Ed's retirement - Sutherland Media Productions was a one-woman show. Ann bought an office condo on MacArthur Blvd., began hiring staff and the work poured in. For almost 38 years, Ann produced award-winning videos for the National Association of Letter Carriers and other organizations. She also partnered with Mike Skehan, a cinematographer extraordinaire on various projects, producing and directing the annual Howard Hughes Medical Institute Holiday Lectures and other productions.

But over and above her work credentials, was Ann's family. Life became even better for Ann and Joe on July 16, 1986, when Stephen, their one and only child was born at Sibley Hospital. Ann and Stephen were joined at the hip. She took a special interest in everything Stephen did, from his first days at Aidan Montessori School, to St. Ann's Academy at Tenley Circle and finally, Gonzaga College High School. Ann was a dedicated member of the Gonzaga Mothers Club and was designated "Band Mom" making sure there were plenty of refreshments following the many orchestra concerts at St. Aloysius Church. Ann made sure Stephen practiced his saxophone often. Stephen went off to college at Santa Clara University, graduated in 2008, and worked in advertising in San Francisco and Chicago. It was back in San Francisco, where he bumped into a beautiful young native of Southern California, Natalie Bueno, who eventually became his wife. The two were married in Santa Monica in 2023 and were blessed with a son, Nicholas, in March of 2025 .

Noted above, family was everything to Ann - her sister Joan was her rock and advisor. Brother John and sister-in-law Lori remained a special part of her life along with their three children Rene Kashmiri (Ali) and their children Casey and Ryder; Ian (Jason) and Brendan (Katie). Ann inherited two kind and wonderful sisters-in-law Mary "Camie" Sutherland (daughters Allison Jacobs and Jennifer Jacobs Hubler (Brian)) and Fran Spaeder, whose husband Roger, left us a few years ago. Fran and Roger have two sons, Dr. Michael Spaeder (Shannon) and sons Joseph, Brendan, and Peter; and Matthew (Gail), and their sons, Gus and Sam, as well as many cousins, friends and colleagues.

We will always love you, Ann. Your spirit, values and legacy will continue to live on with us everyday.