1922
Draper
2010
Draper Sutcliffe
June 13, 1922 — December 26, 2010
Mr. Draper Krum Sutcliffe, 88, from the Village of Rosemont, peacefully passed away at Frederick Memorial Hospital on Sunday, December 26, 2010. He was a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, mentor, and respected surveyor of Frederick County.
Born on June 13, 1922 to Walter and Edna Sutcliffe of Washington, DC, he attended Eastern High School and graduated to attend the University of Maryland. While at Maryland, he interrupted his studies to join the Army in late 1944 where he was sent to serve in the European Theater. Following VE day he boarded a ship bound for the Pacific Theater. He was fortunate to observe VJ day while on board a ship in the Panama Canal. Upon his return home, he completed his engineering degree at the University of Maryland and married Dorothy Mae Merte of Poughkeepsie, NY.
He began his surveying career with the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey by participating in the survey of the boundary between the United States and Canada, in Maine. In 1951, he opened a surveying business in Baltimore County with some clients leading him into the growing Frederick County, Maryland area. He opened Sutcliffe & Associates, Land Surveyors in Frederick in 1961 and moved his family to the county in 1964. He enjoyed a reputation for rigorous, accurate, and thorough surveys. He was an expert witness in many trials to settle land disputes and won cases for clients even when brought against the U.S. Government. His reputation and stature rose in the state to where he was appointed by Governor Mandel to the State Board of Registration for Professional Land Surveyors. He and his partner in life, Dorothy, were instrumental in the operations and growth of the Maryland Society of Surveyors, having served a number of years as President, Secretary, and finally on the Board of Directors. He was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society just this October.
Mr. Sutcliffe spent many years as a part-time professor at the Mont Alto Campus of Penn State and also Frederick Community College teaching surveying.
Mr. Sutcliffe was very active in scouting and served many years as a scoutmaster in Baltimore County followed by various positions at the Council level, including District Commissioner. At least 2 of his eagle scouts went on to become surveyors with one of them locating his business in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Mr. Sutcliffe and his wife Dorothy were very active church members at St. Marks United Methodist Church, Baltimore, Maryland. Calvary United Methodist Church, Frederick, MD became their home church once they moved to Frederick County where they cultivated many deep and lasting friendships.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Dorothy Sutcliffe. He is survived by two daughters, Sandy Shewbridge and husband, Dan of Knoxville, MD; Susan Lassiter of Ahoskie, NC; grandchildren Stacey Parks and husband, Cliff of Rohrersville, MD; Benjamin Shewbridge and wife Rita, of Knoxville, MD; and Matheson Lassiter of Ahoskie, NC; and great-granddaughters Mackenzie and Kendall Parks, also of Rohrersville, MD; and one niece, Patricia Carter and husband William, of Plymouth, MI..
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Maryland Society of Surveyors Scholarship Fund, P. O. Box 101, Cream Ridge, New Jersey. 08514.
A memorial service will be held at Calvary United Methodist Church on January 1, 2011 at 1:30pm. The family will receive friends after services in the church parish hall. Interment will be private.
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