Ceremony to honor Bruce Sutherland

A ceremony to dedicate a plaque in memory of the late Bruce Sutherland will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 11, at the Lewiston Public Library, 305 S. Eighth St. The plaque will be placed on the wall of the library at its front entrance.

Sutherland passed away in December 2021. A retired colonel in the U.S. Air Force, he served in many roles including president of the board of trustees of the Lewiston Library, president of the Historical Association of Lewiston, and as a member of the board of directors of the Old Fort Niagara Association. He also served as deputy mayor on the Village of Lewiston Board of Trustees.

Sutherland attended and graduated from both SUNY Niagara and Geneseo, with a degree in biology. He also obtained a master's degree in management from the University of Southern California. After college, he joined the Air Force and enrolled in Officer Training School and became a pilot. During his 26-year Air Force career, Sutherland and his family were assigned to far-flung locations across the U.S. and world. His military service culminated in his promotion to colonel and his appointment as wing commander at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas.

Event organizers stated, “Bruce loved Lewiston and never forgot his boyhood home. After retiring from the U.S. Air Force and working as a captain for a major airline, he returned to Lewiston with his wife, Jackie, and family and became an inspiration to his countless friends and fellow volunteers.”