Suzanne Ziegler

Suzanne Ziegler, 88, of Lewes DE, passed away peacefully in Fishersville VA on April 20, 2023. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Donald Ziegler, in 2018. She leaves three sons – Rand (Marci), Scott (Laurie), and Kurt (Linda); six grandchildren – Andrew, Daniel, Derek, Justin, Karissa, and Sarah; and five great grandchildren – Ethan, Jonathan, Maizley, Alexander, and Emmaline.

Suzanne was born (October 3, 1934) and raised in Lancaster PA, where she met her husband Don at McCaskey High School. Married for 64 years, they lived the better part of their lives in the Philadelphia area, spending time every summer with their three sons (and extended family) at the south Jersey shore. Sharing a love for the ballet and musical theatre, they were generous contributors to a number of organizations associated with the performing arts. They also shared an excitement for travel. Having toured six of the seven continents of the world, they narrowly missed a visit to the last – Antarctica – when the tour was canceled at the last minute due to a cruise boat fire. She generously shared her passion for travel with her extended family by organizing exotic vacations – these included rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, an African safari, cruises through the Peruvian Amazon and the French Polynesian Islands, and exploring the Galapagos Islands.

A self-described tomboy as a child, Suzanne loved playing outdoors – everything from climbing trees to horseback riding to camping at her primitive “trailer” deep in the Quarryville woods. Throughout her life, she had a deep affection for nature, particularly flowers, birds and other wild animals. She told stories of her childhood collie (Murphy) and horse (Scotty) and later made sure there were always plenty of pets on hand to nurture her children’s love of animals – a dog (Jenny), numerous cats (especially Loki and Holly), and multiple guinea pigs, rabbits, hamsters, gerbils, rats, mice, turtles, fish, parakeets, and even a chipmunk. During their retirement, Suzanne and Don made their home on the dunes of the Delaware beach, where Suzanne could view her beloved ocean on a daily basis – watching the dolphins pass by as she enjoyed her morning coffee. Her generous contributions to the MERR Institute – an organization that rescues and cares for distressed marine mammals and sea turtles – reflected her genuine passion for the welfare of oceanic wildlife.

Suzanne was an avid supporter of her sons’ sporting activities, rarely missing a baseball game or wrestling match. While not much of a pro sports fan, she adored her Philadelphia Flyers (aka, Broad Street Bullies), attending games and following their journey to Stanley Cup Championships in 1974 and 1975. She enjoyed swimming, skiing, reading, dancing, attending film festivals, doing jigsaw puzzles and listening to her favorite musical artists (Harry Belafonte and Neil Diamond).

Most of all, Suzanne enjoyed spending quality time with her immediate family, her sister Jackie and niece Kristi, and her close friends – some with whom she had stayed in touch since kindergarten. Steely tough when she needed to be, yet sensitive and compassionate when she wanted to be, Suzanne will be missed by all who knew and loved her. We are all comforted by the sentiment that she had shared on multiple occasions during her senior years – “I have indeed had a wonderful life.”

For those wishing to honor Suzanne Ziegler, donations may be made to the MERR Institute website at www.merrinstitute.org by selecting the “Donate” button. There is an option to leave a note specifying that the donation is in memory of Suzanne Ziegler. Donations may also be mailed to the following address: MERR Institute, Inc., 801 Pilottown Rd., Lewes, DE 19958.