Susan Bajew

Susan Bajew (née Dinkelberg), 70, passed away Friday, September 12, 2025, at her apartment in Neptune. While she held multiple jobs throughout her life, her one true passion was working with horses. She was at her happiest in the stables and made it a point each year to watch the running of the Kentucky Derby. That passion for animals was matched by a strong sense of independence, which manifested into a love of motorcycles, American muscle cars, and anything that let her be out on the open road. A habitual reader, her encyclopedic knowledge of obscure, little-known facts impressed even the most well-versed. Never one to shy away from speaking her mind, she loved her family and those around her in a manner uniquely her own, all the while doing so in a pair of pink sneakers.

Born in Long Branch, she was raised in Atlantic Highlands, found her way to Texas for several years, but was then called back to New Jersey. Susan was predeceased by her father, Philip J. Dinkelberg, in 2010; her mother, Jean Edwards, in 1996; her brother, John, in 2001; her son, Andrew, in 2015; and her niece, Brenna, in 1992. Surviving are her sister and brother-in-law, Donna and Pete Smith of Lakewood; her son and fiancée, Brian Bajew and Jennifer Day of Laredo, Texas; her daughter and son-in-law, Matthew and Elizabeth Parker of Casper, Wyoming; her nephew, Andrew Smith of Lakewood; and her two grandchildren, Hayden and Hunter Parker.

In lieu of flowers, to honor Susan's lifelong passion for horses and rescue animals, the family invites those wishing to remember her to make a contribution in her memory to the following:

Bergen County Horse Rescue, Mahwah, NJ: bergencountyhorserescue.org/memorials

Jersey Shore Animal Center, Brick, NJ: jerseyshoreanimalcenter.org/donate/