SUSSMAN, MARY HELEN; age 89; of Independence Village, Naperville, IL (formerly of Mt. Pleasant, MI) passed away in the early morning hours of Saturday, April 23, 2016.

A Memorial Service will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan on Saturday, April 30, 2016 at 4 p.m., followed by the interment of her ashes as well as the ashes of her husband at Memorial Gardens (740 S Mission Rd., Mt Pleasant, MI).

She was born on January 12, 1927 in Athens, Ohio as Mary Helen Ashworth to Clarence and Margaret (Dunnett) Ashworth. She was the oldest daughter of seven children. Her siblings Jack, Charles, Margaret Ann, and Nellie have preceded her in death. Her surviving younger siblings are William Ashworth (Ohio) and Nancy Sheets (Joplin, Missouri). She met her husband Marvin Richard Sussman while in Athens, Ohio. They married on February 17th, 1951 in New York City, New York. He preceded her in death on October 24, 2008. She had worked as one of the secretaries for Woody Hayes while her husband sought his Master's degree at Ohio State, attended modeling school and worked at the American Medical Association while living in Chicago, went on to have two sons while living in Ann Arbor (Michigan) and another son while living in State College (PA). She then moved to Georgia and then New York. She went back to technical school while living in Eau Claire (Wisconsin) to receive her associate degree as a Pharmacy Technician (something she was very proud of) and worked at Sacred Heart Hospital. She then moved to Mt. Pleasant (MI) where she was a very active member in the First United Methodist Church. She loved Mt. Pleasant and her friends in the area.

After the death of her husband in 2008, she moved to Independence Village in Naperville, Illinois where she enjoyed the company of good friends. A breast cancer survivor, in recent years, she had suffered from several other ailments – most recently, two broken hips that required surgery, but she continued to be energetic and thankful for all that she had been given. She always liked being around people. If left alone with a crowd, she would soon speak to everyone and know their names. There was little she would not do for her friends. She was particularly helpful to the elderly and encouraging to the young. She was passionate, opinionated, tireless, loving, kind, hardy and a great mother. She will be dearly missed by family and friends alike.

She is survived by her sons Richard (Ronda) of Irvine, CA, Lee (Christina) of Naperville, IL, and Brent (Cherie) of Peachtree City, GA; grandchildren Jacob, Joshua, Jonah and David Sussman, Jenni Montgomery, Gabriel and Rafael Morillo, and special friend Janice Klein.

Memorial contributions may be made to either the Breast Cancer Research Foundation or the ALS Association.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary Helen Sussman, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.