John Southerland

John Claudius â??Sudâ? Southerland, 70, a lifelong resident of Hopewell, died peacefully on Thursday, July 13, 2006, surrounded by family. Sud was the son of the late Luther Philmore and Margaret Eastman Southerland. He was predeceased by his infant brothers, David and Gene Southerland. A beloved husband, father and grandfather, he is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Joyce Edwards Southerland, of Hopewell; a son, Keith Alan Southerland and his sonâ??s girlfriend of many years, Tuenchai Norman, of Colonial Heights; a daughter, Kathy Southerland Tyler and her husband, Robert, of Midlothian; cherished grandchildren, Megan and Coleman, also of Midlothian; his dear mother-in-law, Thelma Edwards, of Hopewell; two brothers, Douglas E. Southerland, of Falls Church and, Jerry F. Southerland, of Melbourne, Florida; a sister, Laura , of Florida; and a host of aunts, nieces, nephews and devoted friends. Sud lived a life that made others come alive. A proud veteran who served in France with the United States Army, Sud returned to Hopewell and worked for decades with Allied-Signal Corp., first as a laboratory technician and later as a millwright. Always eager to stay involved, after his retirement from Allied-Signal, Sud was an operator on the Benjamin Harrison Bridge. His love for sports, friends and family showed in his years playing fast-pitch softball and bowling, in the seasons he devoted to coaching and, later in life, in the joyful hours spent on the sidelines, cheering on his grandchildren. Sudâ??s family will receive friends on Friday, July 14, 2006 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM in the Hopewell Chapel of J.T. Morriss & Son Funeral Home & Cremation Service, where funeral services will be conducted, by Rev. Malcolm Hutton on Saturday, July 15, 2006 at 11:00 AM. Interment will follow in Sunset Memorial Park, Chester, VA. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Liberty Baptist Church, 3808 Woodlawn Street or to the Thomas Palliative Care Fund, VCU Massey Cancer Center, P.O. Box 980037, Richmond, Virginia 23298-0037.