Suzanne Sue Ninomiya Ninomiya Hough

Suzanne Ninomiya Hough of Boulder, Colorado passed away peacefully on May 21, 2013. Sue was born in New York City, New York to Itaru Ninomiya from Kyushu, Japan and Gertrude Ormond of Sydney, Nova Scotia. She grew up with her two sisters Edith and Ula in Kobe, Japan, who predeceased her. She returned to the United States in 1938 to attend Smith College. After graduating Smith in 1942 she moved to NYC where she worked at the Museum of Natural History. In 1946 she married William S Hough and moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan. Sue's first library job was in the Kalamazoo Public library. Willi and Sue moved to Washington DC where Sue took a job at the Library of Congress.

In 1951 they moved to Ontario California where Sue worked for the Department of Commerce until the birth of her son Randy. The family came to Boulder in 1955 when the National Bureau of Standards opened. Sue was active in the League of Women Voters and the YWCA until she was hired by the Boulder Public Library in 1961. She returned to school and earned her Master's Degree in Library Science in 1966 and was promoted to head of the Technical Services Department. Sue retired from Boulder Public Library in 1987 at age 66 and continued to work as a volunteer improving the collection through the donation program. In 2008 the program was eliminated and Sue had served Boulder for 47 years. 2008 also saw Sue move for the first time since 1955 when she and Mighty Dog moved into the Meridian after 53 years on 31st Street.

Divorced, Sue was very proud of her independence. Sue loved the Ballet, Travel, and her pets. Sue always had a faithful companion, dogs of various breeds have always been a part of her life. She had a keen intellect and kept her mind sharp by auditing classes at CU, doing crossword puzzles daily, and playing scrabble and reading every chance she had. Sue never drove, she walked, used public transportation or accepted the kind offers of friends and neighbors, all of whom she felt fortunate for. Sue was well known for her vast collections, including Penguins, Snoopy, and Ballet items - almost all gifts from friends and family. Sue gave freely as a philanthropist, she was a life-long supporter of a large and diverse group of organizations. In her 80's Sue began spending her summer vacations at Best Friends in Utah, as a volunteer. Mighty Dog came to live with Sue from Best Friends and has been adopted at Cottonwood Kennels. Sue requested that no memorial service be held and that her remains by scattered on the waters of the Pacific Ocean that touch both the USA and Japan. Sue is survived by her son Randy and her faithful companion Mighty Dog. Donations for Mighty may be sent to Mighty Dog c/o Cottonwood Kennels, 7275 Valmont Road, Boulder, CO 80303-4715