Susie Clark Kern

Susie was born on March 30, 1931, in Manhattan, New York, the eldest of three daughters to the late Ferdinand “Terry” and Emma Lorene “Susie” (Cunningham) Turner. She spent most of her childhood in Flushing, where she never missed a day of school, learned to play the piano, and began what would become a lifelong love of learning.

After graduating from high school, Susie attended Barnard College in New York City, earning her undergraduate degree in psychology. Following graduation, she worked for Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, conducting field research on baking products. One work trip eventually led her to Michigan, where she met her first husband, Bob Weiss and had two children, Julie and Steve.

After their separation, Susie and her two children settled in Ann Arbor, where she returned to school once again—this time at the University of Michigan—earning a master’s degree in social work. She went on to serve as a social worker in the University of Michigan Psychiatric Center. It was there, in the same building, that she met James “Jim” Kern. The two were married on December 28, 1965, beginning a partnership bringing John and Jennifer into the expanding family.

Susie and Jim shared a love of travel, enjoying countless trips around the world. Highlights included cycling through France and Italy, riding camels in Morocco, summer months up north at their condo in Glen Arbor, and escaping Michigan winters for the warmth of Puerto Vallarta.

Above all, Susie loved her family—especially her children and grandchildren. She was known to “weaponize” a deck of cards and could defeat nearly anyone at Scrabble with both skill and delight. She and Jim loved hosting dinner parties for friends, where guests could count on great conversation, her signature Rob Roys, and Jim’s margaritas.

In her quieter moments, Susie could almost always be found reading—anything and everything. She enjoyed studying languages and spoke French and Spanish, with a working dabble in Italian. She was also a gifted crafter, crocheting baby blankets for her grandchildren and creating needlepoint Christmas stockings. Never one to miss a moment, Susie always documented her life and travels with her trusty camera.

Susie will be deeply missed by her husband, Jim Kern of Ann Arbor; her children, Jennifer Kern of Ann Arbor, John (Lauren) Kern of Flossmoor, Illinois, Julie Kern Lucas of Saline, and Steven (Wendy) Kern of Ann Arbor; her grandchildren, Tommy Lucas of New York, Jimmy (Erin) Lucas of Cincinnati, Tony (Melanie) Lucas of West Bloomfield, Emma Kern of Hawaii, Adam Kern of Ann Arbor, Nicholas (Elise) Kern of Ann Arbor, Sophie Kern of Chicago, and Claire Kern of Chicago; her great-grandchildren, Sofia, Graham, Ronen, and Lila; sister, Terry Boncher of South Carolina; and, of course, her beloved grand-dog, Finney Kern.

In addition to her parents, Susie was preceded in death by her sister Nancy Goldfarb.

A gathering of family and friends will be held on Saturday, December 20, 2025, at The Muehlig Funeral Chapel, 403 South 4th Avenue, Ann Arbor, from 11:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon. A celebration of Susie’s life will follow at noon, led by her family. Burial will take place at Forest Hill Cemetery.

The Muehlig Funeral Chapel of Ann Arbor is honored to serve Susie’s family. Online memories may be shared at www.MuehligAnnArbor.com.