The Honorable John Alfred Sutro Jr.

1936 - 2023

The Honorable John Alfred Sutro, Jr.
October 6, 1936 - April 11, 2023
John Alfred Sutro, Jr. ("Jack"), a former judge of the California Superior Court, passed away on April 11, 2023 after a long illness. He died peacefully at his Kentfield, California home of 56 years, surrounded by his loving family and devoted dog.
A fourth generation San Franciscan, Sutro was born to the late John Alfred Sutro and Elizabeth Hiss Sutro. His grandparents were Alfred Sutro and Rose Newmark Sutro, also of San Francisco.
He leaves behind his beloved wife, Loulie (Hyde), daughters Loulie ("Dodie") Crawford (Peter), Sarah Steenhausen (Paul), son, Stephen Sutro (Ann), and eight grandchildren, Ellie, John and Henry Sutro, Katie and Sam Crawford, and Mae, Lily and Jacob Steenhausen.
Sutro was a graduate of The Town School, The Webb School, Stanford University and Harvard Law School. Following law school, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps wherein, upon graduation, he was awarded the Platoon Honor Man, one of his proudest achievements.
Sutro started his legal career and later became a partner at the law firm founded by his grandfather, Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro, which was one of the west coast's oldest law firms. He developed an expertise in libel law during his years in private practice, and represented clients such as Time Inc., Dell Publishing Co., Readers Digest, Random House and Pulitzer Prize winning author, Neil Sheehan.
Lawyers, Sutro believed, had a duty to lead and a duty for the public good. During his years of service to the community, Sutro served as a founding Trustee of Saint Mark's School (now Mark Day School) in San Rafael; as Director of the Bay Area region of the American Red Cross; as President of the Bay Area United Service Organization; on the Board of Visitors of Harvard Law School and of the Santa Clara University School of Law; on the Board of Trustees at the Webb School; as a Member of the Board of Directors of Marin General Hospital Foundation; on the Legal Services Trust Fund Commission; as Vice Chancellor of the Episcopal Diocese of California; and on the vestry, and as a Eucharistic minister, at St. John's Church in Ross, California.
After 32 years of practice, Sutro became a trial judge on the Marin County Superior Court where he would serve for 17 years. He worked very hard to make sure that everyone was treated fairly in his courtroom. His wisdom, integrity, and common sense were apparent to all. One judicial profile described him – in the words of lawyers that had appeared before him – as "Gentlemen Jack." Sutro embraced life on the bench with a passion, saying that it gave him a chance to be involved in the law for the sake of the law, and to do something worthwhile for people. Sutro was also a sought after officiant at weddings, having married dozens of couples over the years.
As a passionate fan, Sutro attended Stanford football games for seven decades. He loved all animals, tennis, dominoes, hiking, family dinners, the San Francisco opera and symphony, and collecting and listening to music, especially John Phillip Sousa. He and Loulie traveled worldwide, and with his family spent summers on Lake Tahoe at Glenbrook, Nevada, where he revisited the days of his youth. He enjoyed frequent breakfasts and lunches with his many good and life-long friends, and was a member of the Pacific-Union Club and Lagunitas Country Club.
Sutro was loved and loved completely. His was a life well lived.
Services will be held at St. John's Church on Lagunitas Road in Ross at 2:00 pm on Saturday, May 6th. Interment with Military Honors will be private at Cypress Lawn Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in Sutro's honor may be sent to The Webb School (1175 W. Baseline Road, Claremont, CA 91711) or the United Service Organizations (PO Box 96860. Washington, DC 20077-7677).