Mary Lou Sutphen

1942 - 2021

Mary Lou Sutphen

Hillsborough - It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Mary L. Sutphen on March 30, 2021 at the age of 78 after a brief and unexpected battle with ovarian cancer. She died peacefully at home surrounded by her loving family. Mary (affectionately known as "Mary Lou," "Lou" or "ML") was born on September 15, 1942 in Orange, NJ to the late Marie K. Devaney (Schlegel) and the late Walter E. Devaney. Mary grew up in Orange, NJ and was a proud graduate of Our Lady of the Valley High School, Class of 1960. After marrying her first husband, she moved to Somerville, NJ where she raised her three daughters and established life-long friendships and deep connections to the Somerville community. She was fully involved in all aspects of her daughters' various school, sports and extracurricular activities. She had a very successful career in sales which suited her organizational skills, strong work ethic and authentic personality. Mary finished her career working for Corporate Marketing, Inc. where she had developed a very loyal client base. She took great pride in developing trusted relationships and getting to know her clients on a personal level.

In 1987, she married her soulmate William (Bill) Sutphen and they created their new life together on Spring Street in Somerville. Their love for one another is inspiring. For over 30 years, their home was the pulse of the neighborhood, constantly humming with family, neighbors and friends and a place for their 5 children to call home. They hosted legendary backyard parties, countless neighborhood game nights, dinner parties, birthdays, reunions, graduations and Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. Their front porch was always open for cocktail hour. Mary and Bill enjoyed many adventures in their 33 years together. They loved to travel, with trips to France (particularly to Paris and Normandy), a summer spent living in Ireland, and family vacations in Barnegat Light on LBI among their favorites. Mary enjoyed reading, cooking, spending time with family and friends, learning about history, gardening, walking, puzzles, spoiling her grandkids with shopping trips and bubble baths, and driving with the top down in her Mustang convertible. Last year, she and Bill proudly completed 172 miles of the Delaware and Raritan Towpath Canal Walk.

She is survived by her beloved husband of 33 years, William R. Sutphen III (Bill); her loving children, stepchildren and their spouses: Susan Latino, Janet Gagliardi, Ellen Flanagan (Chris), Trisha Hall (Chris), William (Billy) Sutphen (Michele); her adoring grandchildren Hannah Langlie, Devaney Latino, Logan Roach, Claire Latino, Kate Latino, Emma Hall, Will Sutphen, Eliza Hall and Luke Flanagan. She is survived by her loving siblings Marjorie Flynn (John), Walter Devaney (Virginia) and sister-in-law Nancy Devaney. She is predeceased by her brother Michael Devaney and sister Ellen Nadolny. She also leaves behind her cherished nieces and nephews Katherine Vizzini (Joseph), Lauren Flynn and John Flynn (Greta) and their children as well as countless Devaney, Schlegel and Sutphen cousins and extended family members.

Mary's life had deep meaning to so many. How she lived serves as a powerful example to her children and grandchildren. Central among these life lessons are: cherish old friendships, maintain family traditions and be in service to others. If you were fortunate enough to be counted among Mary's friends, you had a loyal and dependable friend for life. One of her greatest joys was her connection to her Our Lady of the Valley (OLV) classmates. Mary was the driving force behind the planning and execution of every one of their high school reunions and she counted these childhood friends among her closest - as evidenced by the outpouring of love and support her family received from them during her brief illness. Mary enjoyed researching her genealogy and sharing her research with her extended family. She believed strongly in maintaining family traditions, including hosting Thanksgiving, celebrating her German and Irish heritage and preparing her Christmas stockings for each of her 9 grandchildren. She was an excellent cook and once retired, enjoyed exploring and sharing new recipes with neighbors and family. You could always count on her arriving to one of her children's homes with containers of her much loved homemade spaghetti sauce. Mary's family often lovingly teased her about her famous "to do" lists and need to plan. Truth is, she was the glue that held the family together. She was the first to reach out and mobilize to help a friend or family member in need; with a meal, phone call, card and prayer. She showed up for everyone in her life in both word and deed. Her passing leaves an immeasurable hole in her family, but we will draw strength from one another and from the love and lessons she imparted to us.

Her family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey Home Care and Hospice for the compassionate care they provided to Mary during her brief illness. Visitation will be from 2-4pm and 7-9pm on Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at the Bruce C. VanArsdale Funeral Home, 111 N. Gaston Ave, Somerville. A funeral mass will be held on Wednesday, April 7, 2021 at 10:30am at Our Lady of the Valley Church, 510 Valley St., Orange, NJ. To send condolences to the family, please visit brucecvanarsdalefuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, you can honor Mary's life by making a donation to the Alzheimer's Association, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital , or a charity of your choice.

She would also remind you to call your mother.