Karen Elaine Sutherland

Karen Sutherland, 84, of Aurora, Illinois, went to be with Jesus on April 22, 2026.
Karen was born on the north side of Chicago, growing up nestled in a multigenerational home where she, her parents, and sister lived on the first floor, her great-uncle on the top floor, and her grandparents and her aunt lived sandwiched in the middle, all providing her love, support and laughter.
She was proud to be the granddaughter of Swedish immigrants, embracing all the old country traditions including the annual Swedish Christmas smorgasbord (with Swedish meatballs and Kringlas—good—and lutefisk—not so good). She loved to pepper her home with Dala horses, Swedish figurines, and Swedish Julbock (straw goats). She was a regular visitor to her uncle’s delicatessen in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood to get his famous potato sausage as well as popping over to the Swedish Bakery for pepparkakkor.
At the same time, she was a proud American. She had an avid interest in presidential and first lady history and customs, delved into U.S. history and politics, and was active as a graduate student on Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen’s campaign.
Karen loved learning and continued to feed that love for most of her life. She pursued several degrees, including a Master’s of Library & Information Science from the University of Illinois and a nursing degree from College of DuPage. She kept the Inter-Library Loan departments of many libraries in business!
She loved children and worked with them in both their formative years as a children’s librarian and right after they came into the world as a nurse on hospital obstetric floors.
She also loved research and wrote hundreds of articles for various magazines on a myriad of topics, including flowers, hymns, Christmas traditions, nursing, history and more.
Her love of children extended to those connected to her. So many of her own children’s friends found her dimpled smile, her warm hugs, and her generous, giving nature a safe haven amid the troubles of life. Several teenagers and young adults found a bed to sleep in and a mother figure to love on them in her. Many of her children’s friends call her Mom.
And her mother’s heart extended to those she didn’t know as well. She had a passion for the homeless and never failed to tuck money into hands that needed it, always accompanied by a worried mother’s voice. “Have you eaten? Get inside where it’s warm. Get something good to eat.”
She was a committed Christian, accepting Jesus as a young girl and never turning back. She grew up in Northwest Baptist Church in Chicago. In the churches she was a part of over the years, she was an active helper, taught Sunday School, baked for events, helped compile cookbooks, and even spearheaded an effort to start a Sunday School for people with disabilities. At her current home church, College Church, she highly enjoyed her weekly in-depth Bible study and traveled to France with her son’s disability ministry on a missions trip to spread her love to people in countries other than her own. Her love of people was evident in everything that she did.
Her love shone brightest, however, toward her family. She was our ferocious defender, strongest ally, and the one you knew was always in your corner. Her laugh was infectious, her hugs tight and snug. She wasn’t satisfied sitting still and letting life happen. She personified action. She plopped you into the car and whisked you off for adventures. Whether it was shopping at Marshall Field’s, dinner at Sizzler’s, or a surprise trip to Chicago’s main Kroch’s and Brentano’s store, she made you want to go with her just to see what she’d do next.
The world is a dimmer, sadder place without her in it. No one loved us more fiercely. And we cannot wait to one day see her again. Heaven is already a better place now that she’s brought her huge heart, her sparkling blue eyes, her warm hugs, and her beautiful dimples with her there.
She leaves behind her brokenhearted family who loved her as much as she loved us:
Her son, Daniel, her daughters, Susan and Elizabeth (Aaron), her former husband, Daniel, her granddaughters, Emma and Rebecca, her sister, Laurel (Allan), her nephews, Jon (Angie) and Tom (Ceci), her grandniece, Chenoa, and her grandnephew, Ian, as well as several cousins and extended family both in the US and in Sweden.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Clifford and Cecilia, her grandparents, and many beloved aunts, uncles, and cousins, all of whom we know she is rejoicing to be amongst again.
Family and friends are invited to a visitation on Monday, April 27, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. with a service following at 11:00 a.m. at the chapel at Countryside Funeral Home, 333 S. Roselle Road, Roselle, IL 60172. A private family-only burial at Ridgewood Memorial Park, Des Plaines, IL will follow.
Donations on behalf of the family to the Stars Disability Ministry of College Church, 332 E. Seminary, Wheaton, IL 60187 would be welcomed and appreciated.