Charles Sutter's Obituary
Charles William Sutter, an international oil and gas attorney whose kindness and caring spirit had a profound and lasting impact on all who knew him, passed away Friday May 6, 2011 at the age of 62. Charles is survived by his wife, Susan, of the home; his son Brandon and wife Natalie along with their children James and Matthew of Leesburg, VA; his son Derrick currently in Beijing, China; his mother Hazel of Tulsa, Oklahoma; and his brothers, Max in Tulsa and David in Oklahoma City, and many nieces and nephews.
Charles was born August 8, 1948, to Hazel Mae Frank and Robert Maxwell Sutter in Tulsa, OK. The middle of three brothers, Charles from an early age demonstrated entrepreneurial flair as a part-time newspaper delivery boy, eventually receiving a college scholarship from the Tulsa World. He was also an Eagle Scout and a baseball enthusiast.
Charles distinguished himself as a community leader. As Student Council President of Will Rogers High School, he was proud of the school’s namesake and reflected Rogers’ philosophy, “I never met a man I didn’t like” throughout his life. Charles had a great love of people and always enjoyed meeting and talking with individuals from all walks of life. While an undergraduate at Oklahoma State University, Charles continued in multiple leadership roles and also met his wife, Susan. Nicknamed “Sugar Bear” by his pledge class at Sigma Nu, Charles served as “Commander” of the OSU chapter and was fortunate to befriend a group of lifelong friends that were a great support to him throughout the years.
After obtaining a B.S. in physiology and an MBA from OSU, Charles worked for Coburn Optical as an administrative manager in Petersburg, Virginia for two years. He returned to Oklahoma to attend the University of Tulsa Law School and to clerk for the Oklahoma Supreme Court. He then embarked on a long and distinguished career with Mobil Oil Corporation and later ExxonMobil Corporation that took him around the world. Initially based in Denver, Charles was involved in arbitration proceedings over oil interests in Prudhoe Bay. In 1987, he received his first overseas assignment as General Counsel in New Zealand during the government deregulation of the oil industry. He then returned to Virginia to work in managing environmental litigation.
Over the course of the following decade, Charles acted as Mobil’s General Counsel in Japan and oversaw legal affairs as General Counsel for the greater China region in Hong Kong during Hong Kong’s changeover from British to Chinese rule in 1997. Returning again to Fairfax, Virginia, he enjoyed working with ExxonMobil’s Formula 1 Racing in downstream L&S, later moving to Global Services where he last year managed legal affairs in the Czech Republic and Hungary. He was widely respected at the office as a competent and hardworking professional and a caring coworker.
In his spare time, Charles loved to travel with his family, enjoying the diversity of people and places throughout the world. Together they explored the historical capitals of mainland China, went on an elephant safari in the Nepalese jungle, hiked the Hawaiian Islands, toured Buddhist shrines in Thailand, encountered Orangutans in Borneo, and went on a road trip in Burma. Charles also enjoyed a very eclectic taste in music; he could be found at a symphony or opera as well as a country music concert. Fascinated by history, Charles had a deep reverence for Virginia’s rich historical heritage, and together with his wife, Susan, restored Ellwood, a historical home near Leesburg, that due to their efforts was listed as a Virginia Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places. An Oklahoman at heart, Charles revered nature and was most at home sitting on his porch gazing over the countryside at sunset.
Charles is best remembered by his friends and colleagues for his unassuming character, inner strength and overwhelming kindness. He was never one to judge and always managed to see the best in everyone. He lived first and foremost for his family and devoted himself to providing his children with better opportunities. He never lost faith in the future, in himself, or in those around him. While Charles will be sorely missed, his lasting testament to inherent compassion, selflessness, and the sheer boundlessness of the human heart will persevere.
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