SUZANNE L. HART

HART--Suzanne Louise, 41, was killed in an elevator accident on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 in New York, New York. Suzanne was born on August 25, 1970, in Columbus, Ohio. She grew up in Central Ohio, suburban Chicago, and Palos Verdes Estates, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. Suzanne graduated from Palos Verdes High School and earned a degree in Fine Art and International Relations from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. Suzanne began her career as a printmaker in SoHo and entered the advertising business as a graphic artist. She proved to be a quick study and found that she had a strong affinity for leading teams, developing ad concepts and campaigns, and pitching them to clients and prospects. Suzanne was a natural connector of people, both personally and professionally, and she derived great satisfaction from bringing together people from very different disciplines and backgrounds to create something that none of them could have created on their own. She was a tireless and dedicated worker, and she maintained her cheerful disposition, optimistic outlook, and playful sense of humor in even the most stressful of times. Suzanne was equally energetic outside of the office. She was particularly interested in landscape architecture and design, and she recently completed a two year landscape design program through the New York Botanical Garden in her spare time. She was particularly proud of the work she did in the backyard of the Brooklyn Heights home she shared with Christian Dickson, an associate with Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA) in New York. In addition to Chris, the love of her life, Suzanne also leaves behind a large and loving family: her father, Alex W. "Pete" Hart and stepmother Mary Templeton Hart, of Naples, FL; brother Alex Paul Hart, his wife Desiree Joy Hart, and their children Alex W. and Lauren Hart of Atlanta, Georgia; brother Michael Howard Hart, his wife Patti Zogheb Hart, and their children Hannah, Emma, and Michael G. Hart of Chappaqua, New York; brother Gregory Edward Hart and his girlfriend Tara Cadenelli of Portland, Oregon; and stepsister Kiersten Wolf Petrucci, her husband Andrew Petrucci, and their son Collin Petrucci of Alexandria, Virginia. Suzanne was preceded in death by her mother, Fyanne Edwards Hart, in 1992, and, despite her young age, became the glue that held the family together for the past 19 years. Like her mother before her, Suzanne had a genuine affection for people that led to the development of a wide circle of friends. And despite growing up in the Midwest and on the West Coast, she loved New York and the friends and colleagues she became close to during the last 15 years of her tragically shortened life. Suzanne was a ray of sunshine wherever she went, and though she has left us in body, her spirit will live on through the many people she loved and who loved her so deeply. A memorial service celebrating Suzanne's life will be held on Monday, December 19th, 2011, at 10:30am eastern standard time, at 300 Madison Avenue in New York City. Please enter through the private entrance at Madison and 41st Street. A private burial will be held in her parent's hometown, Lancaster, Ohio, at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to either the New York Botanical Society (www.nybg.org) or the Suzanne L. Hart Memorial Scholarship Fund at Knox College (please contact Beverly Holmes at bholmes@knox.edu or 309 341-7755 for more information).