Glade Spring, VA
Joan Dye Sutherland went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, June 26, 2021, at Valley Health Care Center in Chilhowie, VA with family by her side. She was 84 years old.
Joan was born and raised on Plum Creek Road in Glade Spring, VA. She was the daughter of Ernest Edward Dye and Clara Belle Thompson Dye. She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Jone Morrow Sutherland, and their two daughters, Suzette Hope Sutherland and Jonna Faith Sutherland, of Glade Spring, VA.
Joan is also survived by her brother-in-law, Lowell Grizzle, of Kingsport, TN and his children Angela Grizzle of Johnson City, TN, Keith Grizzle (Veronica) of Kingsport, TN, and Steve Grizzle of Gray, TN; sister-in-law, Debbie Sutherland (the late Charles Sutherland), of Glade Spring, VA and their children Lindy Smith (Eric) of Bristol, TN, Wynn Sutherland of Kingsport, TN, and Shea Sutherland of Glade Spring, VA; first cousins Nadine Johnson (Larry) of Bristol, TN, Melva Deckard (James F.) of Bristol, VA, Joyce Kistner (the late Kenneth Kistner) of Bristol, VA, and Sam Allison of Bristol, VA; and other special cousins including Karen Harris Frye (Roger) of Wytheville, VA, Vickie Howlett Lipinski (Dr. Robert) of Indiana, PA, Vivian Rasnick (Dennis) of Dante, VA, Ellen Hammond (Bobby) of Glade Spring, VA, and Marie Blankenship (Gerald) of Glade Spring, VA.
Joan is preceded in death by her childhood best friend from Plum Creek, the late Sue Ratcliff Powers (Robert Leo Powers of Chilhowie, VA), and Sue’s sisters Mary, Annie, Hazel, and Gayle. In addition, Joan is survived by several close neighbors including the family of Patsy Wallace (the late Ted Wallace) of Glade Spring, VA and their children Andy Wallace and his wife Kim of Chilhowie, VA, Pastor Jeff Wallace of Glade Spring, VA, Ginger Wallace Clark of Concord, NC, and Pamela Wallace Greene of Morristown, TN; Barbara H. Bales of Glade Spring, VA and her daughter, Leigh Bales Lewis (Russell), of Sugar Hill, GA; and Mercedes Blattner of Marion, VA.
Joan attended Marion College and graduated from Emory and Henry College with a bachelor’s degree in English. She received a master’s degree in Education from the University of Virginia. She began her teaching career at the age of 18 in a one-room school at Cleghorn Valley in Chilhowie, VA. She taught at Chilhowie Elementary School for six years before transferring to Abingdon High School to teach English for the remainder of her career until she retired in 1991.
The family would like to extend gratitude for the health care provided by Dr. Douglas Pote, the staff of Glade Community Clinic, and the staff of Valley Health Care Center in Chilhowie, VA.
In lieu of personal visitation, those wishing to express their condolences may do so by visiting the website of Frost Funeral Home in Abingdon, VA (https://www.frostfuneralhome.com) and leaving an online message in the guestbook. A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.
Frost Funeral Home & Cremation Services is honored to serve the family of Mrs. Sutherland.