Herbert Truitt "Tru" Sunderland

1946 - 2024

H. Truitt Sunderland

Seafarer

1946-2024

(by Rafael Alvarez)

Herbert Truitt "Tru" Sunderland - a true son of East Baltimore who sailed around the world as an engineer with the Merchant Marines before retiring to the Eastern Shore - died after a fall at his home in Talbot County on February 19th.

A memorial celebration will be held 5 p.m. on March 9 - the day after what would have been his 78th birthday - at Ryleigh's Oyster, 22 West Padonia Road in Timonium.

Less than two years ago, Tru lost the love of his life when his wife of 53 years - the former Valerie Kontos of Greektown, an accomplished watercolor artist - died of leukemia at their home before Thanksgiving.

After raising their children in Mayfield near Lake Montebello, they built their family home in Wittman on Harris Creek that immediately became the "happy place" for their children, grandchildren and friends.

"Camp Wittman is on the leeward side of the peninsula that eventually becomes Tilghman Island," said their son, Athan Sunderland, 51, of Monkton. "It's where my heart is at home."

Daughter Maggie Sunderland Berman, 41, so loved the homestead and her father, that she named her son "Harris Truitt" after the creek and after her Dad.

"If you complimented something of his, Tru would insist you take it. My father was generous, funny as hell, smart, eccentric, doting and loving. He was fiercely loyal and taught me to always forgive."

The son of Herbert Truitt Sunderland and the former Margaret McLean Sunderland, Tru was born on March 8, 1946 and grew up in the 600 block of North Robinson Street near Monument Street. He attended St. Wencelaus parochial school before attending Patterson High School.

Graduating in 1964, he began shipping out as an engine room apprentice on November 8, 1967, spending 79 days aboard the S.S. Mormacdawn. He retired 35 years later as Chief Engineer aboard the M.V. Sealand Motivator.

It was at Patterson - as a star lacrosse and soccer player for the Clippers - that he met "Val," whose father owned Lou's Bar at Eastern and Ponca Streets. They were married around the corner from the tavern at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in November, 1969.

"One of my favorite Tru and Val stories is when he was on a ship in the late 1960s," said Matt Berman, husband of Maggie and father of their two children. "He heard an album that he loved and called Val to tell her he was going to buy her a copy. She told him she'd just bought an album that he would love as well." In a Baltimore twist on the O. Henry story The Gift of the Magi they'd both purchased the same LP: Memphis Underground, released by Herbie Mann in 1969.

The couple joked that they were so devoted to doing everything together that they both came down with leukemia, which took Val's life at Wittman. At the time of his death from a fall there on the front steps of their home, Tru was in remission.

As grandparents, Val was, naturally, Yia-Yia. Tru, though not Greek, was Papou.

They had five grandchildren, three from Athan and his wife Kate Greeley Sunderland: Emma, a computer engineer; Truitt (who followed his grandfather into competitive lacrosse, excelling at the University of Virginia), and Lucy, a writer and sailor headed for her freshman year at Washington College in Chestertown.

Emma: "He built me the coolest treehouse in the world. When we went sailing he'd put a life size stuffed animal dog ["Stuffy"] on the edge of the boat and wave when another boat was passing. As the people got closer, they'd get a confused look on their face. Papou got a kick out of it every time."

Truitt: "He always told me before my games to get an assist for him. This speaks volumes about the person he was and the example he set for me - he didn't want goals, he wanted to help others."

And this from Lucy about Papou's magical side of the man who taught her how to sail, tie knots, and read the channel markers all the way to Tilghman Island.

"When my siblings and I were younger Papou would take us to a place on the creek he called "Treasure Island," said Lucy. "He never promised us that we would find anything, but he always made sure that we did. I never realized that the old coins that appeared on the shore were from his pockets, not some pirate in my imagination. A few years ago when we took my younger cousins to Treasure Island I saw Papou throwing coins in the sand while they weren't looking."

His two younger grandchildren are Maggie and Matt's kids, Nell and Harris.

And, much like his favorite character from his favorite movie - The Dude from The Big Lebowski - their love for him now as always, abides.