Suzanne M. Lehman

Suzanne M. "Sue, Susan, Suzie" Lehman, 85, of Englewood, NJ, made her transition September 27, 2025, at The Actors Fund Home in Englewood, New Jersey. She was surrounded by best friends and family. Born 2/4/1940 in Fort Wayne. She graduated from St. Paul's Lutheran grade school in 1954 and North Side High School in 1958. From a young age she aspired to join the performing arts community, beginning in the early 1940's at Fort Wayne Children's Theater, Virginia Withey Studios, and many grade school and high school productions. She was chosen to participate in Fort Wayne Civic Theater and Fort Wayne Foellinger Theater Summer productions at Franke Park. At age 16 she was honored with an Anthony Award nomination for her supporting role in "Time Out for Ginger". She was blessed with a great singing voice and enhanced her skills and learning at Northwestern University. She graduated in 1962 with a BA in Theater. She moved to NYC where more learning, singing and auditioning continued. She performed in some off-Broadway and Broadway productions, as well as summer stock and television. She was understudy for Barbra Streisand and Bambi Linn in, "I Can Get It For You Wholesale" in 1962. In between learning, singing and auditioning she worked at Time Warner and had a successful Shaklee food business. She loved teaching others and delved into projects behind the scenes learning stage management, producing and directing. She was honored to be cast as Tzeitel, in the national road show of "Fiddler on the Roof" and was one of the stage managers for the Neil Simon play, "Prisoner of Second Ave". In 2019, she was selected to the first group of 10 performers to be included in the Performing Arts Legacy Project by the Research Center for Arts and Culture at the Actors Fund. She made friends easily, was kind, helpful, and was always entertaining. She loved gardening, the ocean, and her fur babies. She was preceded in passing by her parents, Fred C. and Dorothy (Pultz) Lehman; her stepmother, Lucille (Lapp) Lehman; and her childhood friend and stepsister, Dianne (Lapp) Meister on 9/3/2025. She is survived by her best friend, Francesca James of NYC; her sister, Cheryl (Cherie) Stark (Jack), of Fort Wayne, IN; her nephew, Michael Lehman Korte (Rebecca), of Bronx, NY; her niece, Susan Korte Hardesty, of Indianapolis, IN; great nieces, Juliet (Hardesty) Balbar, Gloria Hardesty and Safina Korte; great-nephew, Oliver Korte; stepbrothers, Tom Lapp (Becky) and Steve Lapp, also of Indianapolis, IN. There will be no services, please toast a remembrance to Suzie as a celebration of her art-filled life. Memorial contributions may be made to Fort Wayne Youth Theater, 2426 Lake Ave., Fort Wayne, IN 46806 or Fort Wayne Civic Theater, 1940 Bluffton Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46809.