Obituary of Suzanne Lorenz Brennan

Suzanne (Sue) Lorenz Brennan, nee Suzanne Emily Lorenz, age 87, beloved wife of the late Edward Joseph Brennan, passed peacefully on September 7, 2021 in her home surrounded by family. She was born August 3, 1934 in Urbana, Ohio, daughter of Lillian and Otto Lorenz. She married Edward Brennan on December 29, 1960 and moved to Paw Paw, Michigan. In that union she gained two children and they had six more children. Suzanne graduated from Ohio State University in 1955 with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations. She worked as a stewardess for United Airlines until 1960. She received her Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Western Michigan University in 1988. She worked for the Van Buren County Mental Health Department for 25 years until she retired in 2014 at the age of 80. Suzanne was a very loving, spiritual, gentle, and accepting woman who opened her home to many who needed shelter, support, and advice. She loved reading, yoga, and bird watching, and played piano and guitar. She was very innovative in her field and was a prominent supporter of incorporating one’s spirituality and faith in the treatment of mental health. She had an unquenchable desire to learn, especially about healing and holistic medicine. She was involved in many professional organizations and advisory committees. She was a devoted member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo where she volunteered for over 50 years in various capacities including liturgy, music, outreach, education, and worship. She was instrumental in establishing Vatican II in St. Mary’s Parish and the Diocese of Kalamazoo. Suzanne was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her two brothers Otto Thomas and Michael Lorenz and her sister Rosalyn Lorenz and her son Robert Brennan. She is survived by her sister Lilli Johnson; her children Susan (Donald Lickley) Brennan, Lilli (Alfred) Congdon, Sharon (George) Haldes, Barbara Derrico, Patrick (Melinda) Brennan, Kathleen (Jeffrey) MacDonald, and Karen (Kevin) Weed; her grandchildren Moja (Dan) Belmont, Edward (Amy) Brennan; Erin Congdon, Abigail (Jonathan) Hatcher, Courtney (Matthew) Stephens, Elizabeth Congdon; Krista, Demitrios, Tessa, and Nicholas Haldes; Jason and Anthony Derrico; Sean, Phelan, Trey, Ryan, and Truman Brennan; Brennan, Todd, Shane, Joseph Connor, and Ian MacDonald; and Seoirse Eamonn, Maire, Siobhan, Ena, Ronan, Nora, Tadhg, and Roselaine Weed; and her great grandchildren. She was the cherished aunt to many nieces and nephews. Due to Covid-19 the funeral will be private. A memorial mass will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Daily Recovery Zone (dailyrecoveryzone.com) or Eleanor’s Pantry in Paw Paw (eleanorspantry.org)