Final Chapter

Susan's last employer, Fawcett-Haines Printing in Lincolnwood, closed around 1974, at the same time her personal life was changing. Her daughter Elaine had remarried and moved out, and for the first time in her life, Susan was living on her own.

She moved into a smaller apartment near Belmont and Harlem Avenues. For about a year, Susan enjoyed a brief retirement. She used this time for frequent visits with her children and eight grandchildren, shopping, and day trips with ladyfriends.

However, heart problems had developed over time, and had gone untreated. A series of heart attacks ended Susan's life on February 11, 1977, at the age of 65. She was buried at St. Joseph's Cemetery in River Grove, IL, next to husband Fran on February 14, 1977.