Mary Malinda Shuck Sautter, Class of 1965
Posted Dec 10, 2021
Mary ‘Malinda’ Shuck Sautter ’65 died July 23, 2021. She was born on Sept. 10, 1943 in Findlay, Ohio to the late Emerson Shuck and Sarah LeGrand (Beidleman) Shuck. Malinda was a member of countless clubs (including cheerleading) at Bowling Green High School and graduated in 1961. In 1962 she met David Bertram at Otterbein College, where she majored in French and was a member of Epsilon Kappa Tau (Arbutus) sorority. They married in 1963, living in Biloxi, Mississippi; Crete (Greece); and San Angelo, Texas. Malinda moved back home to Ohio, and then from Ohio to Cheney, WA in 1977.
Thanks to some fancy matchmaking by daughter Jennie, Malinda met Hal Sautter, the love of her life, in 1982. They were married in 1983 and spent the last 37 years following Hal’s softball team to tournaments, motorcycle riding, skiing, golfing, dancing, playing cards, gardening, skydiving, bowling and traveling. After moving to Cheney, she worked in the Spokane Flour Mill for an insurance company before moving on to Holy Family Hospital where she eventually became Director of Communications. After leaving Holy Family, she worked for People to People sending professional delegations overseas to China and Japan. She was able to join one delegation to Beijing and came home with stories of food, sleeplessness, and the wonderful people she met. The next job where she could apply her skill set was as an office manager at Apex Physical Therapy. In 2000, Malinda and Jennie opened a children’s clothing store in Cheney which was a fun and fulfilling experience for both of them. Malinda was dedicated to serving her community. Her family volunteered during Thanksgiving in the Cheney Soup Kitchen. Hal and Malinda also frequently volunteered by to answer phones for the KSPS membership drive and helped raise money for various other causes. Last year, she spearheaded efforts to gather and distribute household goods, clothing and funds for victims of the Malden fire. Malinda joined PEO (Philanthropic Educational Organization) Cheney AJ Chapter in 2005.
Malinda was preceded in death by her brother Bill Shuck and sisters Kathy Demchak and Jane Johnson. She is survived by her husband Hal; daughters Laurie Hale and Jennifer Miller; grandchildren Savanna (Jake) Druffel, Colton Miller (Tommi Swannack), and Katie (Hayden) Boring; great-grandchildren John and Madelyn Druffel, and numerous nieces and nephews.