Susan Petrovsky

Susan Petrovsky was born in Queens, New York on May 18, 1946 to Gail and Murray Tessler. While growing up in her borough, she studied her way through Forest Hills High School, with honors, and eventually Queen's Community College, graduating with an Associate in Applied Science degree. She began her career as an Executive Secretary for the renowned advertising agency Carson Roberts in Manhattan. In 1970, she moved west to California, continuing to work in advertising. A year later she would meet her future husband, Peter, while out with her friends at a hopping discotech in Marina Del Rey. A few months later, Peter entered the Army, and, he and Susan started exchanging letters and pictures on an almost daily basis, getting to know each other and falling in love all the while.

In June 1972, Peter was given orders to go to Vietnam, and quickly moved to propose to Susan. In order to get married before deployment, they were married three short weeks later, on July 23rd, 1972. Peter's directive to go to Vietnam was changed to Korea, and he left to go overseas in August of 1972. A few months later, Susan followed him to Korea, and the two lived off base, roughing it for a year while Peter served in the Army. After Korea, the two were sent to Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah for a year until Peter was discharged.

In 1974, the couple moved to Los Angeles, where Peter went to CSUN to complete an engineering degree, and Susan worked at the Regional Center for Handicapped Children. They bought their first house (for a mere $34,000) in Chatsworth in 1975.

Their first child, Joy, was born to them in 1977. The same year, Susan and Peter bought a property in rural Lobo Canyon, and lived in a 600 square foot home, while working together to build a larger one up the hill. Their second child, Lisa, was born in 1980. As the family grew and developed, Susan and Peter started a real estate partnership, eventually transitioning it into a company called Diversified Engineering. Susan played an integral role in running Diversified, a company that at one point grew to about forty employees, for over three decades.

In 1990, their third child, and first son, Andrew, was born. The family, now five people, continued to thrive in the house they had built for themselves in Agoura, California. Throughout the 1990's and 2000's, Susan was actively involved with volunteering at the Crisis Pregnancy Center in Thousand Oaks, and busy supporting and providing for her kids in school, at horse shows, volleyball games, and in any way possible. Susan fostered countless friendships with those around her, and served as a leader in countless bible studies, women's groups, and volunteer causes.

Thank you all for the love and support you have given our family. Many have asked if Susan had a favorite charity and she definitely did. If you would like to make a donation in Susan's name, the following are her favorites:

-Calvary Community Church (her longtime church): http://calvarycc.org/give

-Wounded Warriors Project (a longtime veterans cause she supported):http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/donate.aspx

-CPC of Simi Valley (a pregnancy clinic she had volunteered with for many years) : http://www.cpcsimi.org/#/donate

In addition to these, the following are also two outlets for donating to scientific research.

-TD 5 Boro Ride, Cancer Research Institute Team (I'll be raising $1000 to bike in her hometown in May for researching immunotherapy):

https://www.crowdrise.com/cancerresearchinstitutetdfiveborobiketour1/fundraiser/andrewpetrovsky

-Cedars Sinai Susan Petrovsky Memorial Fund (all donations here will go directly to supporting Susan's doctor of six years and her research for immunotherapy and women's cancers):

"Gifts may be made online at: www.csmc.edu/giving

Click on the red banner that says “Make a gift”

In the text box, “special instructions,” please note that the gift is “in memory of Susan Petrovsky”."

Arrangements under the direction of Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Mortuary, Westlake Village, CA.