Suzie was born in Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada to Yvonne Dube and Francois Lavallee in Valleyfield, Quebec, Canada. She bravely left her small hometown and moved to the big city, Montreal, when she was 23 years old to live on her own. She immediately made friends and stayed in touch with them to this day. Once you were Suzie’s friend, it was a lifetime position! Suzie impressed all her doctors by her strength and perseverance during some very difficult and painful health challenges over the years. She passed away after a long illness at the age of 73 in Liberty Township, OH on May 4, 2025.
Suzie was preceded in death by her mother Yvonne and her father Francois, and is survived by her loving husband Renzo, her brother Francois and sisters-in-laws Diane and Sonia, many nieces, and nephews, many, many friends, and her beloved Gucci.
She met the love of her life, Renzo in 1981 while working together for the same company. One day she had a flat tire in the company parking lot, and he offered to repair it after work. She decided to reward him by taking him out to dinner and the love affair took off from there. It took him a while to get the courage to ask her to marry him and they were finally married on December 11, 1993. He could not have asked for a better person to spend his life with, and she truly is and always will be the love of his life!
They moved to Toronto in 1993, and finally to Cincinnati in July of 1997 where Suzie once again made many lifelong friends.
Everyone who met Suzie was immediately drawn by her smile and love for life, her joie de vivre! Her passion for all animals was always on display and she was there for anyone who needed help with taking care of their cat or dog. Suzie always made friends easily. She loved and was loved by so many it’s impossible to list everyone here!
Suzie had a soft spot for her furry friends, treating each one like the valuable family member they were. She not only took care of her own 4 dogs over the years, Barney, Chance, Bandit, and Gucci, but was always there to lend a hand to anyone who needed help with their cats or dogs! She also made sure to keep the wild birds fed, regardless of whether it was sunny, raining or snowing.
Everyone who knew Suzie, knew how much she loved gardening. Every year the neighbors would comment on her lovely flowers planted in several gardens around the yard. She made sure to plant new flowers each season and maintained every garden meticulously. When she moved from her first house in Cincinnati the new owners commented on the pressure they felt to make sure to maintain the beautiful landscaping!
She loved to travel! To celebrate her successful recovery from breast cancer, she and Renzo went to Italy in 2001, where they met his family and visited Venice, Milan, and Tuscany, with her favorite place being Lake Como! She also loved to travel with girlfriends, and they went to many islands and beaches for a fun time of laughter and sun. Lately, she would spend weeks in February and March in Florida where she thoroughly enjoyed the white sand beaches and eating her favorite meal - frog legs.
Suzie will always be remembered for kindness and being seen with a glass of Chardonnay in her hand and her smile! Her memory will live on in the hearts of all those who loved her.
Memorial Visitation will be held at Hodapp Funeral Home, 6410 Cincinnati Dayton Rd., Liberty Twp., OH 45044 on Saturday, May 17, 2025 from 4 PM until time of Funeral Service at 5 PM.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the American Cancer Society or your local animal shelter.
Saturday, May 17, 2025
4:00 - 5:00 pm (Eastern time)
Hodapp Funeral Home
Saturday, May 17, 2025
5:00 - 6:00 pm (Eastern time)
Hodapp Funeral Home
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