Sue Douthit O'Donnell

1945 - 2025

Sue Douthit O'Donnell
04/02/1945 - 05/27/2025
Sue Douthit O'Donnell died after a short illness on May 27, 2025 in the presence of family. She was 80.
Sue was born Sue Sevilla Douthit on April 2, 1945 in Minneapolis to H. Davis and Ruth Long Douthit. At the age of eight, her parents moved to Columbus, Ohio, where she grew up. She attended Denison University, Granville, Ohio, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1967. Sue then worked in banking in New York and San Francisco. A few years later, she enrolled at the Graduate School of Business at Stanford. She received her MBA in 1976 in the top of her class. She then worked in public accounting, earning her CPA, and later with a real estate syndication firm.
In 1984, on what began as a job exploration, she met Robert O'Donnell. Sue had no interest in the job, but fortunately did have some interest in Bob. They married in 1985. Sue brought two cats to the marriage; Bob brought two pre-teen daughters. Even Sue's stepdaughter, Heather, agreed that Bob got the easier deal. She was a loving stepmother, somehow knowing exactly when to involve herself and when to back away. Bob and Sue had many wonderful years together, living in Orinda and Atherton until making a move shortly before her death.
Sue always had a bright smile and an engaging dry wit. She found humor in every phase of life, especially at its more difficult times, managing pain with her usual aplomb. She loved cats, having had five during her lifetime. Hallmark should be warned that sales of cat greeting cards are now likely to decline sharply.
Her parents were a writer and a librarian. Thus, it was not surprising that Sue had a lifelong interest in libraries. She was instrumental in the renovation of the library at Denison, now in Douthit Hall, and received the school's Alumni Citation. Sue also supported libraries at Berkeley and the Hoover Institution at Stanford. In later years, she developed an interest in medical research at Stanford and also wrote patient reviews for the British Medical Journal. Sue was also an active supporter of local Peninsula charities, including East Bay College Prep, JobTrain, and many others.
Sue was predeceased by her stepdaughter, Katharine O'Donnell Hamer, and her sister and brother-in-law, Jennifer and Paul Boget. She is survived by her loving husband, Bob; stepdaughter, Heather; son-in-law, Joel Hamer, and grandchildren Camlin and Luna. She will also be missed by her niece Holly Boget Thompson (Mark); nephew, Chris Boget (Bev); and four grandnieces and nephews.
At Sue's request, there will be no formal service. In lieu of flowers, the family would welcome gifts to the Davis and Ruth Douthit Research Fund at the Bancroft Library at Berkeley or to a charity of your choice.