Suzanne Schad Smith's Obituary
Our loving mother, wife, sister, and friend Suzanne Schad Smith passed away on Sunday, June 19th, 2022 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Suzanne was at home and surrounded by her family at the time of her passing.
Suzanne was born in Rochester, Minnesota on April 6, 1938, the fifth daughter of eleven children brought into this world by Christian Schad and Catherine Schneider Schad. Suzanne grew up on the family farm in Plainview, Minnesota, a small town that hasn't changed much since then. She was the Homecoming Queen and an honor student when she graduated from Plainview High School in 1955 and attended college at St. Cloud State University. Starting at a young age, she was inspired to see the world and next moved to the big city of Minneapolis. Her free spirit was perhaps at its peak when she donned one of her best friend's Western Airlines flight attendant uniforms, boarded a plane at MSP, and moved to San Francisco, California.
Suzanne met the love of her life, James Graham Smith in San Francisco in 1964 and took his hand in marriage on February 26, 1965. Most of their 57 anniversaries were spent in the city where it all began. Their first child, Alison Catherine Smith, was born in Santa Barbara in 1968. A few years later, the Smith family moved to the Los Angeles area where Christian Thomas Smith was born in Canoga Park in 1973. Throughout their lives, Suzanne exposed her children to endless unconditional love, humility, and a strong appreciation of beauty.
Suzanne and family moved to Salt Lake City in November of 1978. She always enjoyed the splendor of the Wasatch mountains, planting a beautiful garden, going to the Utah Symphony and Opera, hosting not-to-miss dinner parties, and spending time with her many good friends. She worked for the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce and thrived at bringing businesses and people together to achieve common goals.
Suzanne is dearly missed by her family and many friends. Despite her struggle with Alzheimer's disease, she always had a knack for finding the right words and how to use them. Toward the end of her life, there were just fewer of them which she substituted with poignant facial expressions and incredible smiles.
Suzanne is survived by her husband James, daughter Alison (Kevin Butler), son Christian, and brothers Michael (Margaret) and Thomas.
Suzanne was preceded in death by her sisters Marilyn Muller (Raymond), Jeanine Ryan (Jack), Virginia Carlson (David), Catherine Schaber (Ronald), Loretta Gosse, and brothers Bernard (Mary), Christian (Ellen), and John (Mary).
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Alzheimer's Association.
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