Obituaries

Eugene 'Poppee' Sutherland, Sr. was born September 13, 1954, in New Orleans, Louisiana to Marline and Clinton Sutherland, Sr. He was the sixth of ten children born to their union. He was raised and confirmed at St. James Catholic Church in St. James, Louisiana where he was able to develop a lasting relationship with God and his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He was a student at Magnolia High School where he received his diploma in 1972. He entered into the workforce immediately and found himself to be a swift learner of many trades. He became a father at 19, which gave him the motivation to 'hustle' for whatever was needed. Poppee started as a truck driver for local industry and Owner/Operator. He enjoyed many adventures driving across the country, and was even able to take a few family members with him along the way! He earned the handles 'Gear Jammer' and 'Truck Doctor' which are both pretty self explanatory. When he would return home between assignments he couldn't wait to recount some of the tall tales he had heard, many, many times and told them for years.... even after leaving the cross country trucking industry to be closer to his family. He came home and began driving during the harvest season, and welding during the off season. However, he never had a break from his mechanic work. Everyone in the community knew that if they needed a diagnosis on something wrong with their vehicle, Poppee was only a call away. He enjoyed helping people, conversing with just about anyone and took pride knowing that he had made a difference for them whether it was big or small. He continued as a welder for several Louisiana based companies and before his health scare in 2012, he had his last ride as a trucker during the harvest season.