Elouise Conte Sutter

Feb 10,1925 - April 13, 2021

Eunice Motte Jackson was born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, the tenth of thirteen children of Charles Laurence Motte and Elizabeth (Bessie) Dyels Motte. She, her twin sister Bernice and their siblings were raised on a berry farm. After graduating from high school, she worked local jobs before moving to St. Louis, Missouri. There she met Dr. J.B. Jackson, Jr, a surgical resident who was finishing his training before being shipped out to South Korea. They were married on June 18, 1951, shortly before he was deployed. When Jack returned from the war, the young family settled in Berkeley.

In the sixties, with her three children in school, Eunice began her career in community service and volunteerism that continued for over fifty years. She was an engaged leader in numerous organizations, including the School of the Madeline Mother’s Club, St. Mary’s High School Parents Association and Board of Trustees, the Bay Area Urban League and Bay Area Urban League Guild and the San Francisco Chapter of the Links, Inc. She founded and ran Project Friend, a weekly program in Berkeley for disabled young adults, for twenty-one years. She received numerous awards, including the San Francisco Foundation Award for outstanding contributions in human relations and Bay

On Tuesday April 13th, 2021, Elouise Conte Sutter, loving wife and mother of three, passed away peacefully at the age of 96.

Ellie was born on February 10th, 1925 in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Alfredo Gustavo Conte and Assunta Magdalena Conte. She received a Bachelor of Science at Columbia University’s Teacher’s College in 1947, a Masters of Art from Stanford University in 1953 and a PhD in Educational Psychology from the Wright Institute in Berkeley California in 1984. She taught as an Art Teacher and County Art Director at the Milford School in Delaware from 1947 to 1951 and at the Newark School in New Jersey from 1951 to 1952. After attending Stanford, Elouise taught in Palo Alto and Oakland California until, on September 1st 1956, she married her beloved husband, John H. Sutter. In Oakland they raised three daughters: Susan, Maria and Sally.

Ellie was a loving wife and mother and she was involved in many civic activities. After being active for several years with the Oakland YWCA, she was President in 1971. She was on the boards of The Center for Human Development and The Lincoln Child Care Center for a number years. In the early 1980’s, she developed the “Let’s Rap” Program at Edna Brewer Middle School. After her children were grown, she travelled the world with her husband John, always fascinated by the archeology, art, culture and politics of the places she visited. She was an avid reader and was especially interested in books on history, historical fiction and Buddhism.

Ellie was also active in supporting her husband’s political and civic aspirations. She supported him in his race and tenure as an Oakland City Councilman, his run for Oakland Mayor and his time as a Superior Court Judge and board member of the East Bay Regional Park District. She played hostess to many an event in support of those positions and was always at his side.

Ellie was preceded in death by her father, Alfredo, mother Assunta, sister Dawn Burr and brother Alfred. She is survived by her husband John and three children Susan (Hultgren), Maria, and Sally, her grandchildren John, Lily and Sophia as well as five nephews and a niece Dale, who was particularly close to her.

A memorial service will be held at 2 PM on Saturday, May 22nd, 2021 in Oakland. Please RSVP as seating is limited due to Covid restrictions. Please email your name and the number in your party to: shultgre@ aol.com

Donations can be sent in her name to the Center for Human Development:

https://chd-prevention. org/donate/

Or The Lincoln Child Center:

https://lincoln.salsalabs. org/lincolndonationform2019/index.html