Suzanne Pals

Suzanne Marie Fritsche Pals died at her home in Mt. Dora, Florida on October 16, after a long battle with two serious autoimmune diseases. Born in St. Louis, Missouri on October 30, 1948 to Anne (McCann) and Leo Fritsche. Suzanne was preceded in death by her parents and all of her four siblings, Donna Dawson, Sheri Koupa, Joan Kenevan and John Fritsche.
She is survived by her husband of 48 years, David Pals, and their two sons, Daniel Pals, of Naperville, Illinois and Andrew Pals of Mt. Dora, Florida.
Suzanne grew up in the small town of Gillespie, Illinois. Her first grown-up job was in Springfield, Illinois working for the State of Illinois Department of Tourism. She met David in 1970 while he was working for the State of Illinois Department of Economic Development. Suzanne later worked in the Governor's office. They were married in Springfield, Illinois in 1974. When the political climate in Springfield changed, they decided not to continue in Civil Service, and the couple moved to LaGrange Park, Illinois in 1978.
At that time David began his career in commercial real estate in Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Suzanne worked in a law office in Chicago and an advertising company in the suburbs. In 1984 Daniel was born, and Suzanne's career as a mother began. Andrew was born in 1986. Suzanne was a wonderful mother, calm, easy going and beautiful. She was devoted to her boys and her gardening. Around the time her soccer mom career was ending, and the boys were off to college, Suzanne found her third career right in her own neighborhood. A charming vintage brick building, once a school, housed an academic journal of the American Nuclear Society. Suzanne edited the scientific papers of these nuclear physicists, PhDs who called her Dr Pals, assuming you'd have to be one to understand their writings. Suzanne grew to love this job, the collegial atmosphere, the one-block walk to work, home for lunch and spent ten years with ANS until they moved to another city.
David and Suzanne retired and moved to Mt. Dora, wintering here in 2017 and moving house the following year. They loved living in Mt. Dora, the weather and the town and the great tropical scenery in which to take their daily walks. And walk they did. Their condo neighbors recognized them as that couple who held hands all the time. Suzanne's last years with her husband were like a vacation every day until the illnesses claimed her health. She never complained, and was never anything but gracious and lovely.