Suzanne Schmidt

A strong, loving, and independent woman -- mother of six, grandmother of twelve, and (at latest count) great-grandmother to eight, Suzanne Simmons Schmidt left our world after living a long life of love and dedication. She taught her children the importance of family and created a tight family bond that now extends three generations beyond her own. Suzanne Simmons was born in April 1926 in Lanett, Alabama. Her parents, Sue Marie Pearson Simmons and John Anderson Simmons, taught Suzanne and her brother John Simmons, Jr. (always known as “Jack”) how to live their deep faith, take care of one another, and value learning. They spent summer days with friends on the backwater of the Chattahoochee or jumping waves at Ponte Vedra Beach and Pawley’s Island. Suzanne discovered a love for hiking and camping at Camp Juliette Low in Georgia and Camp Illahee in North Carolina (camps her daughters and some granddaughters attended as well). Finding school did not challenge her, her parents sent her to college at age 16. As World War II raged, she attended Stevens College in Missouri before going on to Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts, where she graduated with a BS in Household Economics in 1946. Suzy moved to North Carolina to intern as a hospital dietician in Durham. On a blind date, she met the love her life (and she his), Frederick Kenneth Schmidt. They discovered that they shared their faith after each mistakenly ate a hot dog on a Friday (perhaps too smitten with each other to remember the day of the week). They were married in Suzanne’s home church, Holy Family Catholic Church in West Point, Georgia, on October 23, 1948. After Fred finished his training, they moved to Marietta, Georgia. Suzanne turned her career goals to raising children and challenging them to live a life of purpose: Frederick Kenneth, Jr, was born in Durham, NC in 1949; the other five were born in Marietta: David Martin in 1951; Marcia Marie in 1956; Laura Sue in 1957; Mark Anderson in 1959; and John Simmons in 1964. As one son called her, she was the COO of Hidden Haven: dreaming, building, and keeping the home as nurturing place. She was a planner extraordinaire, organizer, marketer, and PR master. Her children kept both Suzanne and Fred busy and generally pretty happy. With six children, there was “never a dull moment.” As their children grew to know, love, and respect their parents as well as one another, they took in one of Suzanne’s greatest life lessons: family is most important. Suzanne not only instilled values in her children; she sought to understand them as individuals. She loved life with Fred. After their children were grown, the two of them enjoyed travel, volunteering, and spending time with friends. They were members of a local bridge club, a tight group of friends that met for over 50 years. Her sewing group did less sewing over time but continued to meet, supporting one another through life’s transitions. Friends were an integral part of their lives and hospitality was Suzanne’s forte. She served on numerous volunteer groups and boards, seeking to leave the world a better place. With the Cobb County Medical Alliance, she helped lead efforts to bring public health advocates to Marietta and made sure the entire Marietta population was invited to take part. She was a faithful churchgoer and volunteer at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, which was often decorated with her flower arrangements. Her daughters particularly appreciate her leadership of their Girl Scout troops, especially taking their girls camping and hiking, and generally leading them to value service and creativity. She served on the board of Camp Juliette Low. She was part of and helped lead the Honeysuckle Garden Club for many years. Her work in all these endeavors strengthened her friendships and deepened her ties the Marietta community. When Fred died in July 1996, Suzanne found solace in her friends, children, and their twelve grandchildren. The grandchildren, who call themselves “The Cousins,” value being a Schmidt in large part because of the love she showered on them and the high standards she showed and expected from them. It was a two-way street; they all adored her. Kenneth and his wife Elaine Turansky’s children include Elizabeth (aka “ZB” and her spouse William Wysocki and children Claire and Alexandra), Emily (and her spouse David Kelley and children Oliver and Benjamin), and Carolyn Marie (“Carlee”). David and his wife Margaret Abernathy’s children include Chess (and his spouse Robert Dooley) and John David. Marcia and her husband Quentin Blaine’s children include Rebecca (and her spouse Michael Pare and children William and Natalie Suzanne) and Chris (and his spouse Arianna Herman and daughter Madeleine). Laura’s daughter is Haley (and her spouse Grant Truex and daughter Evelyn). Laura was also Suzanne’s chief caregiver in her final years when dementia reached a point where more care was needed. Mark and Julee Hagin’s children include Lauren (and her spouse Sam Jones), Michael, and Benjamin. John’s daughter is Lee and his spouse is Linda Olson. In each grandchild, Suzanne could see the future. In each great-grandchild, she saw hope for a better world. Walks on the beach hunting for sharks’ teeth, time spent outdoors enjoying sunshine or picking up ‘sticks’, meaningful conversations around the dinner table or kitchen sink listening and deepening relationships, sharing in both the cooking and eating of Suzanne’s excellent meals: all of these are sign posts of a life well lived. Suzanne Schmidt loved life and will be deeply missed. She died February 20, 2020 and has now rejoined Fred at home with God. A visitation will be held at Mayes Ward Dobbins Funeral Home February 28 from 5-7 pm. A prayer service will follow at 7 pm. Her funeral service will be held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church February 29 at noon. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Wellstar Hospice, The Marietta Educational Garden Center, or Simmons University (Boston).

Suzanne Schmidt

April 7, 1926 - February 20, 2020