Donald "Swede" Leslie Sutcliffe

Lifelong Happy Camp resident Donald Leslie "Swede" Sutcliffe, age 94, passed away peacefully surrounded by family at Shasta View Estates in Weed, California on April 28, 2022. Donald and his twin sister Dorothy were born on May 21, 1927 in Happy Camp, California to Bernice Julia Kenney and Ernest McKinley Sutcliffe. Dorothy succumbed to illness at three months of age. Family lore has it that he received the nickname "Swede" due to his blonde hair as a young child; he carried that nickname throughout his lifetime. Swede's maternal great-grandmother was a full-blooded Karuk tribal member and he was proud of his Native American heritage. Immediately following graduation from Happy Camp High School in 1945 Swede enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving on a minesweeper during the closing months of World War II. After his discharge from the Navy in 1946, Swede returned to Happy Camp. There he met and married Marie E. Casterline. They welcomed their only child, Roy, in 1957. Swede and Marie were widely known in the Happy Camp area as the proprietors of Headway Market for many years. While raising their son in Happy Camp, Swede worked as a butcher at the local grocery store. In time, he and Marie became partners with Hooley Head in the business, then later, bought Head's share to become the sole owners. The new grocery store building they had constructed now houses the Karuk Nutrition Center. Following retirement from the grocery business, Swede and Marie enjoyed gardening, cutting firewood, spending time with friends and family, watching a good ballgame on television, and feeding the menagerie of critters around their home. Swede never met a stranger and will always be remembered for his kindness to all, his fondness for animals, the ever-present pipe jutting from the corner of his mouth, and his unique habit of giving everyone a nickname. Swede Sutcliffe is survived by wife Marie at Happy Camp; son Roy Sutcliffe (Karen) and grandchildren Andrew, Allison and Amanda Sutcliffe of Burns, Oregon; his brother Charles "Chuck" Sutcliffe (Linda) of Happy Camp, and many nieces, nephews and extended family. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Bernice; brothers Marvin "Cope" and Wally Sutcliffe; sisters Dorothy, Madeline "Madge," and Ilene. A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, May 28, 2022, at 11 a.m. in the Karuk Wellness Center on Jacobs Way in Happy Camp with a potluck to follow. Beverages and BBQ main course will be provided. In lieu of flowers, donations in Swede's name can be made to the American Humane Society or your favorite charity.

Donald "Swede" Leslie Sutcliffe

May 21, 1927 - April 28, 2022