Suzanne was born July 17, 1934 in Schoolcraft, Michigan. She was one of four children and the only daughter of Wayne and Nellie Shoemaker.
Suzanne was very involved at Jonesville High School as both a cheerleader and a choir member. She went on to graduate in 1959 from Michigan State, where she was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority chapter.
Like many of her generation, Suzanne and her girlfriends moved out to California upon graduation to pursue the promise of finding a job in the beautiful Golden State. Suzanne settled in and soon found a teaching position in Pomona, California, where she promptly met and fell in love with a dashing neighbor and self-appointed apartment building social director, Jack (John) Donnelly. They moved to San Francisco and were soon married at St.Pauls Church on December 30, 1961.
Suzanne and Jack later moved to Huntington Beach, California , where after raising her three children, Suzanne returned to the classroom and later took a job as office administrator at St. Mary’s By the Sea Church in 1987. She would stay at St. Mary’s until her retirement in 2014.
Known for her delicious cooking, gracious hospitality, and fabulous parties, Suzanne loved to entertain. She and Jack became well known for their annual St. Patrick’s Day party.
Suzanne is preceded in death by her husband Jack, her son John, her parents, and her brothers Roger and Philip. She is survived by her daughter Mary, daughter Molly (Ryan Brown), grandchildren Bridget, Annie, and Patrick, and by her brother, David Shoemaker (Ginger).
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association or Catholic Charities US.
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