Sutherland, John L. 1965-2025 St. Joseph, Mo.

John L. “Suthdog” Sutherland, age 60, passed away Friday, April 11, 2025, at KU Medical Center, after a yearlong bout with cancer. He left this world the way he lived in it, on his own terms. While his life span may have been less than average, there was nothing average about the way John lived his life.

Born March 23, 1965, in St. Joseph, John was the beloved only child of Elizabeth Rose and David Stout. From the beginning, he marched to his own beat.

He attended Central High School, Missouri Western, the University of Arizona, and the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. John’s true education, however, came from the one and only Grandad Sutherland. Together John and Grandad traveled, hunted, fished, and feasted. Serving as his mentor, best friend and fellow adventurer, Grandad taught John how to live richly, with confidence, never accepting second best.

John spent his later years working at Phoenix Aerospace, the company founded by his grandfather. There, he served as an Operations Manager and Technician.

John was a connoisseur of both music and food. They were his true religions. He attended dozens of concerts, collected electric guitars, and even studied at the School of Rock in Los Angeles. As for cooking, John wasn’t just a chef; he was a culinary artist. He studied under the some of the top world chefs and delighted in creating, for his friends and family, masterpiece meals and cocktails that are still fondly remembered.

His circle of friends was a rogue gallery of nonconformists. This circle bonded through shared highs, lows, and the kinds of stories better left off the record. These were the people who shared John’s appetite for fun, celebrations and extremes. Many a night lasted for days. In John’s group of friends, the edge wasn’t something to fear, it was where the fun started.

A heartfelt, eternal THANK YOU goes to Steven “Bubdog” Martinez, whose devotion and love during John’s final season, defined true friendship. Steven was nurse, chauffeur, therapist, comic relief, and constant companion-always there, no questions asked, day or night. If sainthood could be earned in friendship, Steven would be canonized.

John was preceded in death by his son, Brent Rhyne, and his grandparents, William and Catherine Sutherland.

He leaves behind his loving mother, Elizabeth Rose; his devoted stepfather Herman Rose; grandson, Brayden Massengale; and a cast of friends who will miss his distinctive “Ahh” laugh, sharp wit, intense love for music, and the ability to make any gathering feel like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

A celebration of John’s life will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Heaton-Bowman-Smith Sidenfaden Chapel at 3609 Frederick Blvd., St. Joseph, MO 64506.

Rock on, Suthdog! The world may be a little quieter without you, but your song will play on in all of us. As published in the St. Joseph News-Press.