Our Crimson 50 series honors Cougs who have been making gifts to Washington State University for 50 years. Their enduring generosity has created lasting opportunities for students, faculty, and communities across Washington and beyond. Each Crimson 50 profile shares their journey—from first gift to most recent—and their reflections on philanthropy, WSU, and the indomitable Cougar spirit.
Their Story
Like many Cougs, Lonny ’65 and Marcia ’66 Suko came from modest backgrounds. Lonny, the son of a tractor mechanic and Ford auto dealer, and Marcia, the daughter of a grocery store owner, lived in Odessa, WA. Both attended the same schools—until Marcia’s family moved to Walla Walla, where her father sold life and health insurance, and she attended Walla Walla High School. As a result of a favorite uncle attending WSU, Lonny followed Cougar football and got acquainted with Cougar traditions. When it came time to choose a college, the choice was easy.
When Lonny was home for Christmas break, Marcia was visiting Odessa, and they reconnected—he took her to a local Christmas dance. During his junior year, Marcia transferred from Central Washington University to WSU, and the two became a couple.
“Lonny was very serious about his political science studies; I was the one always pulling him from the library to go to a dance or a movie,” said Marcia.
After they married and graduated, Lonny studied law at the University of Idaho, while Marcia earned a master’s in education psychology at WSU. Lonny worked in private practice in Yakima, while Marcia taught English at West Valley High School and later was the counselor at Eisenhower High School. Lonny also served as the U.S. magistrate judge in the Eastern Washington District. In 2003, he was nominated by President George W. Bush to serve as a U.S. district judge of the U.S. District Court for Eastern Washington. Meanwhile, Marica went on to provide mediation services at the Yakima Dispute Resolution Center.
The Sukos will tell you they have been lucky in life, but they believe much of that luck came from receiving a WSU college education. “It has opened doors and worlds for us we never would have had the opportunity to enter,” said Lonny.
First Gift: $10 in 1970 to the Annual Fund
Five Questions
“I have always been grateful for the great education I received at WSU, which I was able to afford because of a partial scholarship from WSU. Without the help of that scholarship, I may not have been able to attend WSU,” Lonny said. “Both Marcia and I have always felt it was important to give back, to make it possible for others to have the same opportunity we had.”
“There are too many events to choose from. That said, we were pleased to have attended two Rose Bowls in which WSU competed,” said Lonny. “We’re also proud of the way WSU and Oregon State worked together to save the PAC-12 from total dissolution and the way WSU has worked to rebuild the conference. That has to be one of the best examples of making lemonade out of lemons. We’re also very proud that WSU established the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, which is making an enormous difference in the lives of people in Eastern Washington.”
“With the cost of education continuing to rise, we believe that young people from families facing financial challenges deserve a chance at a better future,” said Marcia, “and we believe one of the best ways to do that is to help deserving students with scholarships.”
“We would like to see WSU continue its mission of educating present and future generations of students and making opportunities possible for them by continuing to foster research in science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, and innovative technologies that make a better world for our state and the country.”
“We have always been Cougar football fans. Even our son and daughter, who did not attend WSU, are avid Cougar fans, so we have always supported WSU Athletics. Because we believe that education is the primary function of the university, we have also supported scholarships for the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Education.”