Susan Ault

Susan "Sue" Maree (Sanders) Ault, of The Villages, Florida, died Wednesday, October 30, 2024, at the age of 77. She was born on July 16, 1947, to John H. and Maree (Freeman) Sanders, in St. Louis, Missouri. The oldest of five children, Sue reveled in her siblings' attention. She adored each, calling them "okayers," as their father would say. She grew up in Hammond, Indiana, and graduated from Gavit High School. She attended Indiana University where she earned both her bachelor's degree and her master's degree in German and Russian. Upon graduating, she became a language teacher and served as a representative of the National Carl Schurz Association for German studies.
On a double blind date while at IU, Sue met William "Bill" Emerson Ault Jr. Bill claims he should have been the other woman's date but decided immediately that Sue was the one for him. He never doubted that decision. They married in 1968, and for seven years built their marriage, careers and home together before starting their family.
Together with Bill she raised four daughters born within four years of each other. Which means she survived four daughters in their teen years at the same time, under the same roof.
Sue was a two-time cancer survivor, beating both Hodgkins lymphoma and breast cancer. She was a woman ahead of her time and for her children an all-out warrior. Where she was poised to have a tremendous career, she instead poured her intellect and her heart into her daughters. She made shrewd decisions in their upbringing, and they are all the better for her love, attention and tremendous effort.
Sue had a sharp intellect and quick wit, both of which she never stopped sharpening. She voraciously solved crossword puzzles, logic problems and sudoku puzzles much faster than the average person, all while watching Jeopardy and providing the questions before the answers had been read completely. She was also an effective and efficient proofreader, who would have caught the errors in her obituary.
She was tremendously handy at crafting, making cherished cross stitch and knitted gifts for those she loved. She made sun dresses, first communion dresses, Halloween costumes, prom dresses and wedding veils; performed "surgery" on the beloved stuffed animals of her children and grandchildren when a seam would pop, and quilted memory blankets from her daughters' old sports team shirts.
Sue and Bill loved traveling abroad. Early in their marriage, they visited family in France and toured Germany while Sue attended to business. In retirement, they cruised all over the world, most recently visiting England, Ireland and Scotland-an area she'd longed to visit most of her life. She enjoyed playing cards, golfing and visiting with friends, spending time with family and watching her grandchildren grow. And she loved watching sports-particularly when she could cheer on her Hoosiers.
Sue is survived by her husband, Bill, of 56 years; her daughters Amanda (Dana) Fritz, Abigail (Nathan) Dean, Alexis (Steven) Gotz, and Arianne (Elena) Ault; eight grandchildren, Charlie Fritz, Lainey Fritz, Noah Dean, Jackson Gotz, Madeline Gotz, Emerson Gotz, Massimo Ault and Valentino Ault; her siblings Jane (Rod Shaw) Morrison, John (Mary) Sanders, Judith (Leonard) Schiller, and Joan "Matie" (Howard) Hilbrich; her sister-in-law, Cheryl Ault; and nieces and nephews Ryan Morrison, Lisa Morrison, Courtney (Dan) Markovich and Brittany (Jordan) Sekulovski, Rebecca (Richard) Paris, and Danelle (Robbie Woodruff). She was preceded in death by her parents; her parents-in-law, Willam Emerson Ault Sr. and Alpha (Templeton) Ault; and her brother-in-law, John Wesley Ault.
A celebration of life will be scheduled for close friends and family.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made in Sue's name to the Smile Train Cleft Foundation, or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (please send notifications to amdean78@hotmail.com).