Obituary of Neil Lewis Sutphin

Neil Lewis Sutphin was born in Orange County, California on Wednesday, June 10, 1931 to Robert Arthur Lewis Sutphin and Esther Lucille Sutphin (born Esther Lucille Manthey). He died in Edmonds, Washington on the evening of Monday, March 7, 2022 at the age of 90 following a decades-long battle with spinocerebellar ataxia. Neil survived his father and mother, Robert Sutphin and Esther Morrell; his stepfather, Brady Morrell; his sisters Norma Lucille Snyder, Arlene Louise Sutphin Wise, and Barbara Lois Krona; and his daughter Kellie Jane Sutphin. He is survived by his brother, Dan Morrell; his daughters Yvonne Marie Chan, Jeanne Callahan, and Skye Christine Sutphin; his sons Neil Lewis Sutphin Jr., Kurt Robert Sutphin, and George Lewis Sutphin; more than twenty grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Neil’s early life was marked by tragedy with the death of his father, Robert, when Neil was 9. His mother later married Neil’s stepfather, Brady Morrell. Neil joined the Army Air Core at age 16 and served from 1948 to 1951, including the early portion of the Korean War. Following his military service, Neil married Gloria Marie Langford in 1951 and together they had four children, Yvonne, Neil, Kurt, and Jeanne, and moved to Seattle, Washington. Neil and Gloria later divorced, and Neil married Mollie Elizabeth Kerr in 1981. Together they had three children, George, Kellie (deceased), and Skye. Neil joined Seattle Transit (later Metro Transit) in 1961, working as a monorail operator and later a bus driver for more than 40 years. He was active in the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587, serving as Shop Steward, Executive Board Member, and ultimately a term as Vice President. Neil and Mollie later divorced and Neil lived out the rest of his days between the northern suburbs of Seattle and a cabin near Leavenworth, Washington. Neil left his legacy in his children and grandchildren. Throughout his life he was an avid reader of science fiction. He maintained an active curiosity and interest in science, philosophy, and politics even through his last few years. He enjoyed travel, crisscrossing the United States by car, VW bus, and motorcycle. He was a life-long outdoorsman, spending countless days camping and hiking with his kids and grandkids in the mountains around Seattle. Neil’s ashes will be scattered in the Washington Cascade mountains near the Wenatchee River, the area he loved best, in a private family gathering in the summer of 2022.