Susan Gustafson

1927 - 2015

Susan Jane Gustafson,88,died on October 28th in Costa Mesa, CA. The daughter of Robert and Mary Warner, Susan was born in Dixon, Illinois, on March 1, 1927. A member of the Alpha Phi sorority, Susan graduated from Northwestern University in 1949 where she met her husband, Donald Gustafson . They raised their family of four children (Mary Ann, David, Nancy and Robert) in Evanston. Susan was a devoted mother whose passion in life was her children, St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Evanston and St. James Cathedral in Chicago and the Over the Rainbow Association, an Illinois not-for-profit foundation dedicated to provide independent living solutions for individuals with physical disabilities. Susan was always at the heart and soul of Over The Rainbow Association--her work a labor of love, a volunteer's volunteer, always at the center of activity!� Susan's experience in raising her son, Robert, who is deaf, cerebral palsied and requires a wheelchair for mobility, made her a life-long advocate and champion for people with severe disabilities.�� Both Don and Susan became a tour de force, forging plans for a new housing project ,the Hill Arborteum Apartments in Evanston.� More than anything else, her love for Hill Arboretum and the gift of time well spent are Susan's legacy to Over The Rainbow.�� Susan is survived by her sister, Elizabeth Mc Elroy of Washington DC, and her four children ( Mary Ann King (Alex Rose) of Newport Beach,CA, David (Marcee) of Fort Collins, CO, Nancy (Eric Fox) of Naples, FL and Robert of Evanston,IL and,3 grandsons (Steven (Erin),Joseph (Major-USAF) and Will (2nd Lieutenant - USAF) and 4 great-grandsons (Braden, Conner, Carson and Lincoln). Her husband, Donald,predeceased her. The Memorial Service in celebration of Susan's life will be held at St. James Cathedral, 65 East Huron, Chicago, IL on Friday, December 11 at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Over the Rainbow Association, �2040 Brown Avenue,�Evanston, IL 60201