About Helen Sutermeister
Lived 1943 – 1979 (aged 35–36). Helen Sutermeister was a Canadian historian, archaeologist and curator.
Helen Joan Sutermeister (14 January 1943 – 21 May 1979) was a British historian and archaeologist involved in the program of Industrial Archaeology in Ontario. Sutermeister was Curatorial Assistant in the Canadiana Department of Royal Ontario Museum, and was a founding member of the Norwich Survey within the Centre of East Anglian Studies.
Early life and education Sutermeister was born in Bangor, the younger daughter of Carl Sutermeister and Ruth Davies Sutermeister. Her father was a Swiss cotton broker. She graduated from St. Anne's College, Oxford.
Career Sutermeister was Curatorial Assistant in the Canadiana Department of Royal Ontario Museum. She directed the excavation of "Canada's first iron foundry" at Normandale in 1968. She was a founding member of the Norwich Survey within the Centre of East Anglian Studies.
Publications
"An 18th-Century Urban Estate in New France" (1968) "Excavations on the Site of the Tudor Manor House at Micheldever, Hampshire" (1975) "Excavations in Norwich 1971–1978, Part I" (1982, with Malcolm Atkin, Peter Donaldson, J. P. Roberts, and Alan Carter)
Personal life and legacy After returning from graduate school in Canada, Sutermeister married archivist Frank Ian Dunn in 1973. The couple restored a 15th-century home at Hales Green in rural Norfolk. Sutermeister died from lung cancer at age 36, in 1979, in Chester. Since her early death, the Helen Sutermeister Memorial Fund was created and Helen Sutermeister Memorial Lectures are given at the Centre of East Anglian Studies of the University of East Anglia.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Helen Sutermeister's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Helen Sutermeister's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Helen Sutermeister?
Canadian historian (1943–1979)
When was Helen Sutermeister born?
Helen Sutermeister was born in 1943 in Bangor.
When did Helen Sutermeister die?
Helen Sutermeister died in 1979 in Chester.
What was Helen Sutermeister's occupation?
Helen Sutermeister was a historian, archaeologist and curator.
What nationality was Helen Sutermeister?
Helen Sutermeister was Canadian.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Helen Sutermeister
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Helen Sutermeister. https://biography.guide/helen-sutermeister/
MLA: "Helen Sutermeister." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/helen-sutermeister/.
Chicago: "Helen Sutermeister." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/helen-sutermeister/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:15 UTC