Susan Helen Lorenz-Aiken

Susan Helen Lorenz-Aiken of St. Joseph died Tuesday at Lakeland Regional Medical Center after a lengthy illness. She was 63. A long-time resident of Southwest Michigan, Sue enjoyed a 25-year career in newspapers, retiring in 2009 as features editor at The Herald-Palladium. She is survived by her loving husband, Scott, her children, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews. Sue was born Jan. 8, 1947, in Tarrytown, N.Y., and as a child lived in New York and New Jersey before moving with her family to the Chicago area in 1960. She graduated from Nazareth Academy High School in LaGrange, Ill., obtained a bachelor’s degree at Loyola University, Chicago, Ill., and a master’s degree in English at Western Michigan University. Sue lived thirty years in South Haven, Mich., where she worked at the South Haven Tribune and Grand Rapids Press. Sue also taught in area community colleges. Sue was devoted to her sons, Tommy Lorenz and Andy Lorenz, and especially to her grandchildren. Behind her gentle and quiet nature, she possessed a keen wit and kept her sense of humor even during a period of declining health. An avid reader, Sue liked nothing better than to spend time at home with a book or the Sunday New York Times. She enjoyed working with her flower gardens, each summer planning new color arrangements. She liked to travel, especially when it offered the opportunity to escape a cold Michigan winter. Sue is survived by her husband, Scott, whom she married in St. Joseph on Dec. 27, 2004, sons Tommy (Monica) Lorenz, Mandeville, La., and Andy (Frances) Lorenz, Granville, Ohio; step-daughter Drew Aiken, Miami, Fla.; sisters Sarah Clune, Northville, Mich., and Sheila Fariel, Atlanta, Ga.; brothers William Clune III, Madison, Wi.; and Daniel Clune, Chevy Chase, Md.; grandson Andy Lorenz; granddaughters Isabella Lorenz and Andromeda Rodriguez; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, William Clune II and Helen (Hadley) Clune. Funeral mass will be at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Friends may call from 2-5 p.m. Sunday at Starks and Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Road, St. Joseph. The family requests that memorial donations go to Doctors Without Borders. Those wishing to express condolences can sign an on-line guest book www.starks-mechinger.com.