William Preston "Bill" Sutherland

William Preston Sutherland (“Bill”) was born at Vanderbilt Hospital on December 22, 1948, to William Taylor Sutherland and Nancy Lunsford Sutherland. He died at home on December 24, 2022. Bill grew up on Stanford Drive in Nashville. He was a graduate of Battle Ground Academy and held undergraduate and law degrees from Vanderbilt University. Bill loved his family, golf, reading, Vanderbilt sports and God. Not necessarily in that order. He was quick-witted, eager to make others laugh, and kind. A lover of words, Bill often spoke in mini-soliloquies, a potential holdover from his days as a champion high school debater. In the final years of his life, Bill had good, loving relationships with his two sons, Will and Taylor (Leigh) Sutherland, both of Nashville. He also enjoyed a loving, though unorthodox, marriage with his wife of 52 plus years, Susan Swann Sutherland of Nashville. And he held a special place in his heart, which he did not know existed until it did, for his granddaughter, LaRue Sutherland, who fascinated him to no end and whose every card, piece of artwork, and comment he held dearly. Bill’s family knows that those that knew him very likely had a specific story or memory of Bill that brings a smile to their face. They invite those who knew him to share those stories with them by sending an e-mail to billsutherlandstories@gmail.com for them to read as they remember the man they have lost and to share with LaRue when she is older to get a flavor for who her grandaddy was. His family members are fully aware the stories and/or turns of phrase that Bill might be remembered for may be off color, highly inappropriate or jarringly un-PC. That’s not a problem because that’s who he was. Please share them. A service for Bill will be held in Stanford Chapel at First Presbyterian Church located at 4815 Franklin Road in Nashville on January 11, 2023, at 2PM with a visitation to follow in the Cheek House which adjoins the chapel. N.B. Bill specifically requested that whatever sort of memorial his family decided to have that it should not, under any circumstances, be referred to as a “Celebration of Life.” So, though we will certainly celebrate Bill and his life, we must all make a pact not to refer to this scheduled event as such. In lieu of flowers, Bill’s family asks that donations be made to either First Presbyterian Church or the Nashville Public Library Foundation (www.nplf.org). Arrangements in the care of Compassion Funeral & Cremation Services, Nashville, TN (615) 857-9955. We proudly remain locally owned & operated.