Thelma M Sutherland

Thelma Marie Sutherland was born October 5th, 1930 to Helen and Walter Kessler of Middle Village, New York, where she grew up happily surrounded by family.

After a year of college at Adelphi University studying interior design and some time working for McGraw Hill, at age 19, Thelma married her High School sweetheart, Denning Sutherland and the couple moved to Norfolk, Va where they lived for several years while Den was serving in the Navy. When his duty was completed, they moved back to Long Island where they started their family. They purchased their first boat and spent most of their leisure time on the waters of Long Island Sound. As the girls grew, Thelma started working part time for Walter H. Kessler Co. which Den had taken over from her father and his partner.

Thelma was always very creative, sewing her girls’ clothes and teaching them how to sew, doing needlepoint, crafting ceramics, decorating her home. She was an avid and accomplished gardener, serving for a time as president of the local gardening club on Long Island. She was a Girl Scout leader, sang in the senior choir and was the junior choir director and Sunday School teacher at Community Church of Syosset, where they were members for many years.

But most important to Thelma were her girls. She was always there for them, supporting, encouraging and modeling how to be a loving mom.

In 1996, after vacationing there for years, Thelma and Den relocated to Hilton Head, SC, where they settled into the life they came to love; playing golf, Thelma playing bridge, gardening, quilting and becoming active at Providence Presbyterian Church, organizing social groups, singing in the Shore Notes A Cappella Chorus and much more.

After Den passed in 2010, life slowed down some but Thelma continued to be active in the community at the Cypress until 2018 when she decided she wanted to be closer to family and moved north to The Edgehill in Stamford, Connecticut and then a few years later back to Long Island to Orchard Estate of Woodbury where she’s spent her final years surrounded by her daughter, Lauren’s family with frequent visits from Merryl.

Thelma is survived by her two daughters, Merryl Dietz and Lauren Chabina along with her son-in-laws, Bob Dietz and Bill Chabina; Granddaughter, Kaitlin Mayo and husband Andrew; Grandsons, Greg Chabina, Jacob Dietz and Christian Dietz; and Great grandchildren, Ryan and Matthew Chabina and Marin and Makenna Mayo. Predeceased were her husband Denning, her parents, Helen and Walter Kessler and her sister Eleanore Pollard.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Community Church at 36 Church Street in Syosset, NY on November 22, 2025. The service will be at 11 am with interment to follow at St. Margaret’s Cemetery.