Howard Edward Sutherland

Birth date: Aug 7, 1948 Death date: Jun 19, 2024

Howard Sutherland died peacefully in his room in Oakland, California, on June 19, 2024. He was 75.  The eldest child of Betsy McCann Sutherland and William (Bill) Sutherland, Howard grew up in Kensington, Maryland, with his sibli Read Obituary

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Natalie Roth-Corti

65w ago

I was in a ceremony class with Howard for a number of years. He made a significant difference for all of us with his heart, generosity and presense. Though I would not describe him as fierce man, he was quite fierce about spirituality and growth, maybe determination is the better word. He never crossed the line of interfering with anyone's learning process, he held that boundary sacred, with gentle awareness, clarity and strentgh. But he was on a mission, he wanted to grow and celebrate the beauty and sacredness of life in community. It was inspiring to see how he took Parkinsons in stride and treated it like a learning opportunity, taking it for everything it could teach him, like only a master warrior could.

He shared his love of Kate and his children and this was a beautiful thing to behold, as was also his pride in his business and what he was able to contribute to his field..

My condoloences to all who knew him and my thanks to Kory and Andrew for organizing such a thoughtful and moving memorial. I am grateful to have been able to come.
Natalie Roth-Corti

John S. Allen

65w ago

I am recalling working with Howard and Ed Colaianni on the Third Edition of the Manual for Bicycle Mechanics in a windowless cubicle just off Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley. But it was filled with light, the light we would be providing to bicycle mechanics everywhere.

Howard was the best employer I have ever had. He was kind, thoughtful and easygoing, but he knew to draw the line when I got into the weeds with information that would waste my time and bloat the manual. Howard brilliantly prepared internal-gear hub exploded drawings using "paper mechanics" -- cutting apart manufacturer's drawings and rearranging them at each stage of disassembly and reassembly. The pages read down for one and up for the other, taking up little more than half the space.

Howard's ability to obtain technical information in those pre-Internet days was prodigious, and so we could discover compatibility across brands previously unknown -- chainwheels, freewheels, tires. Somehow Howard had obtained an early printout of the ETRTO tire size list, and the Third Edition was first in making this information public, ending decades of confusion.

I could say more -- I also worked on later editions, but I'll leave it here for now. I only regret that I did not get to see Howard again more recently, and I celebrate his influence as one of the three most important mentors in my career in bicycling.

Molly M.

65w ago

Planted a Memorial Tree in honor of Howard.

A vibrant green tree flourishes in a sunny area, showcasing thick leaves and a sturdy trunk.

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Kory Sutherland

65w ago

I meant to post this in the body of the obituary, but I want to say that in lieu of flowers donations can be made to savesfbay.org which restores wetland habitat in the San Francisco Bay. Memorial trees and flowers are so lovely, too! Thank you. My family appreciates your memories and kindnesses very much. We hope to see you at the memorial.

James Bowie

65w ago

Added a new photo to the The Confusions album.

Michael & Johnny Selvin

65w ago

Sent a Country Basket Blooms to the Sutherland family.

A colorful flower basket with gerbera daisies and roses, ideal for gifts.

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Bethany Horner

65w ago

I remember first reading the Handbook for Bicycle Mechanics way back around 1975 when I worked at Georgetown Cycle Sport in DC. The people there, like Mike Schwering and James Hargett, knew Howard personally. When I moved the the Bay Area in the early 80's I met Howard in person, and found him a friendly and ever curious individual who had carved out a successful business for himself. Years later I found myself working for him on two projects, the last one being a very large update of the Handbook which took much time and covered a wide breadth of material and number of years.
We built a friendship going far beyond the usual work connection and I always found him engaged, thoughtful, and focused on what is important in life and spirituality.
We could talk about anything, and did. Ever changing circumstances lessened interaction in recent years, but even on the last call he was the same warm caring person that I always knew that had helped me, and made our personal and professional experiences so memorable. As they say, gone but not forgotten, he did have that effect and impact on me. He had a huge spirit and heart.

Cynthia Hutchison

65w ago

I enjoy reading the memories posted by others! I remember Howard as someone who was really a kind person with a peaceful presence. I always enjoyed talking with him and appreciated the way he showed up. I have enjoyed being in community with him and I will miss Howard Sutherland.

Paul Olszewski

65w ago

Howard was one of the nicest and most patient persons that my wife, Zenia and I have ever known. Our bike shop, Valencia Cyclery in San Francisco, was fortunate to be one of the two guinea pig shops to use his "Bike Tracker" computer inventory program as he was developing it. He dragged us kicking and screaming into the computer age back in 1994. I am forever indebted for his kind help. He seemed to have endless patience which somehow overwhelmed my scorn of computers.

I had heard about Sutherland's Handbook of Bicycle Repair many years before I met Howard and he offered us his program. When he came by that first day, I felt like I was in the presence of bicycle shop royalty. He was so intelligent and well known but yet so humble. He was a very generous soul, someone very special.

Charles Von Husen

65w ago

Planted a Memorial Tree in honor of Howard.

Plant a tree

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