Cornelia (Connie) Paula Heusel Sutter, 74, passed away on June 22, 2022 at her home, after a courageous second battle with cancer.
Born in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 3, 1947, Connie spent her younger years in the Virginia Beach area, followed by some time in Vicksburg, Miss., before settling into life in Wilmington, N.C. for the next 25 years. After years at the coast, the mountains became her home for the next 17 years overlooking Fontana Lake in the North Carolina mountains.
Connie spent several years working at KAT Sportswear in Wilmington, followed by time at SeaSide Mortgage. After moving to Fontana Dam, she worked at the Stecoah Valley Cultural Center and The Boat and Auto Store in Robbinsville. She was the President of the Fontana Foundation, as well as the Secretary and Treasurer of the Eagles Nest Homeowner’s Association. She was also a member of the Travel and Tourism Board.
Her parents, Cornelius and Vernell Heusel; her sisters Vernell Costenbader and Thelma Midgette; as well as her brother, Lewis Brownie, preceded her in death.
Connie is survived by her loving husband of almost 35 years, Karl Vernon Sutter, Jr.
Time with family was precious and a priority in Connie’s life. She will be dearly missed by her five children and 14 grandchildren; son, Dereck R. Boone with wife Gray (Brandon and Mia) of Wilmington, N.C.; daughter, Kyle B. Talhelm with husband Kip (Kenzie and Kenna) of Burlington, N.C.; son, Ryan N. Boone with wife Michelle (Isabella, Elizabeth and Gabriella) of Raton, N.M.; stepson, Karl V. Sutter, III with wife Lori (Abbey and Riley) of Cary, N.C.; and stepson Scott D. Sutter, with fiancé Alexia (Taylor, Harrison, Angelina, Adrianna, and Annabella) of Wilmington, N.C.
A private memorial service will be held at Connie and Karl’s home at sunset on July 18, 2022, during the family’s annual week at Fontana.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Connie’s memory to Salud Hondu (a friend’s non-profit that funds healthcare clinics in rural Honduras):
320 S. 5th Avenue,
Wilmington, NC 28401, saludhondu.org.