Suzanne Tyner

1922 - 2017

Suzanne Tyner

To the best mom in the history of the planet – when you live a great big life, you get use to doing great big things, but it can wear you out. That's okay mom, rest up and we'll see you somewhere down the road, where you'll probably be accomplishing more great stuff. We were lucky to have you for so long.

Born Suzanne Smith on November 5, 1922 in Muncie, Indiana, she was the middle of three children. Her sister was Adele Smith and brother, John Smith. They lost their mother in a tragic fire when Suzy was 11 years old, and her father, Earl Smith remarried to Katherine Ryan, who brought her two children of similar ages to the family. She could boast that she pioneered what is now the Modern American Family, 60 years before it came in vogue.

An admitted "geeky brainiac" while growing up, her hero was Madame Curie, a scientist working with radioactivity. Really mom? C'mon, really? Suzy's interest in chemistry landed her at Mount Holyoke College (she said Harvard and Yale weren't open to women until several years later…and added something about it being their loss) where she graduated and was immediately recruited to work on what was at the time, a top-secret project called the Manhattan Project.

After the war ended and the Manhattan Project was scaled back, she left Niagara Falls for a job with Owens-Illinois in Toledo, Ohio, where she met and fell in love with an up and coming engineer by the name of Bob Tyner. She said the engineer thing was all well and good, but it was greatly overshadowed because he was the guy of her dreams…married for 68 years…a good chemist knows good chemistry, right? Yeah, for real.

They had three children, Jeff, Mary Jane, and David. One of their children is autistic and that began their unending search for answers, support and at that time in the 1950's, simply how to manage another day. Their dedication and eventual know-how over the years evolved into a family foundation that continues today to fund and support causes for autism.

In 1962 Suzy went to night school to get her degree in teaching. The young family needed funds to help finance the massive medical and psychiatric bills for their autistic child. She got her degree and taught 3rd graders. With her work on the atom bomb and then later as a teacher, she again seemed to have pioneered another phenomenon several years early – women in the workforce - likely overqualified and underpaid. Just saying.

Suzy eventually left teaching as Bob's career grew. They traveled the world, sometimes as part of Bob's career as a consulting engineer, but mostly for vacations. Suzy was a killer bridge player, completed the NY Times crossword just for grins and giggles, and was a co-pilot for Bob when they flew their plane. She admittedly couldn't seem to master golf, but can anyone really claim different?

But they felt a calling to help others and impart all of this wonderful knowledge they had gained from raising an autistic child. They are part of the "Greatest Generation", so no shock that they wanted to share and see others leverage success from their experience. That culminated in the formation of the Tyner Foundation which funds and supports autism causes. In addition the Suzanne Tyner Scholarship was set up in 1992 at Mount Holyoke College for students of the sciences.

There is a common theme here: Learn. Adapt. Give back. So that brings us full circle to where we started – rest up and kick back mom – it's good to be the queen. Maybe ask where you can find a Stoli martini with water on the side... 5 p.m. her favorite time of day. It's okay. Really. You earned it.

She is survived by her loving husband, Robert "Bob"; children, Jeffrey Tyner, Mary Jane (John) Luck, David (Nancy) Tyner; grandchildren, Brian, Danny and Bobby Tyner, Katie Suzanne Luck; brothers, John Smith and Tom Ryan; and sister, Frances Dewar. She was preceded in death by her sister, Adele Wingate.

A memorial Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 15, 2017 at Gesu Catholic Church, 2049 Parkside Blvd., Toledo, OH.

Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider Great Lakes Collaborative for Autism, 2040 W. Central Ave., Toledo, OH 43606. Condolences may be shared with the family at

walkerfuneralhomes.com



View the online memorial for Suzanne Tyner