Donald Sutherland

Sutherland in 2015, photo by Prphotos

Birth Name: Donald McNichol Sutherland

Date of Birth: July 17, 1935

Place of Birth: Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

Date of Death: June 20, 2024

Place of Death: Miami, Florida, U.S.

Ethnicity:
*father – Scottish, English, one eighth German
*mother – Scottish

Donald Sutherland was a Canadian actor, and anti-war activist. He had leading roles in the films The Dirty Dozen, M*A*S*H, Kelly’s Heroes, Johnny Got His Gun, Klute, Don’t Look Now, The Day of the Locust, 1900, Fellini’s Casanova (1976), The Eagle Has Landed, The Kentucky Fried Movie, National Lampoon’s Animal House, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), Murder by Decree, Ordinary People, Eye of the Needle, Max Dugan Returns, A Dry White Season, Backdraft, JFK (1991), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992), Six Degrees of Separation, Outbreak, A Time to Kill, The Assignment (1997), Without Limits, Virus, Instinct (1999), Space Cowboys, The Italian Job (2003), Cold Mountain, Fierce People, Pride & Prejudice (2005), American Gun, Lord of War, An American Haunting, The Hunger Games quadrilogy, Moonfall, Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, and Miranda’s Victim; in the made-for-tv movies Citizen X and Path to War, and in the mini-series Uprising.

Donald was the son of Dorothy Isobel/Isabel and Frederick/Fred McLea Sutherland, who ran the local gas, electricity, and bus company, and also worked in sales. His family lived in a farmhouse in Lakeside, New Brunswick, and then in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. He was married to actress Francine Racette, until his death. He had five children: two, including actor Kiefer Sutherland, with his former wife, actress and activist Shirley Douglas; and three, including actors Angus Sutherland and Rossif Sutherland, with Francine. He was the grandfather of actress Sarah Sutherland, who is Kiefer’s daughter.

His father’s ancestry was Scottish, English, and one eighth German. His mother was of entirely Scottish descent.

Donald’s paternal grandfather was Frederick Winslow Sutherland (the son of John Sutherland and Mary Angeline Pentz). Frederick was born in Lockport, Shelburne, Nova Scotia. John was the son of Scottish parents, Peter Sutherland, from Rostown, Watten, Caithness, and Isabella McLea, from Moray. Mary was the daughter of John Martin Pentz, who was of German descent, and of Catherine Chandler.

Donald’s paternal grandmother was Louisa/Louise Condon/Congdon Day (the daughter of William Day and Mary Elizabeth Benham). Louisa was born in Lockport, Shelburne, Nova Scotia. William was the son of John Day, who was born in Somerset, England; and of Elizabeth Brown/Gordon. Donald’s great-grandmother Mary Elizabeth was the daughter of Charles Benham, who was English, and of Mary Elizabeth Stuart.

Donald’s maternal grandfather was William McNichol (the son of John McNichol and Isabella Hamilton). William was born in Dalhousie, Restigouche Co., New Brunswick. John was born in Perthshire, Scotland, the son of James McNichol and Elizabeth Kerr. Isabella was the daughter of Scottish parents, William H. Hamilton, from Argyll, and Mary Margaret McKelvie, from Ayrshire.

Donald’s maternal grandmother was Mary Chalmers Hamilton (the daughter of Peter Hamilton and Mary Chalmers). Donald’s grandmother Mary was born in Dalhousie, Restigouche Co., New Brunswick. Peter was born in New Brunswick, the son of Scottish parents, Peter Hamilton and Elizabeth Hamilton, both from the Isle Of Arran. Donald’s great-grandmother Mary was the daughter of Scottish parents, John Chalmers, from Argyll, and Mary Galbraith.

Sources: Genealogies of Donald Sutherland – https://www.geni.com
https://www.wikitree.com

Genealogy of Donald’s father – https://familysearch.org

Birth record of Donald’s father – https://familysearch.org

Birth record of Donald’s mother – https://www.familysearch.org