Susan May Coppel

Susan May Coppel was born on June 2, 1922 in Pickford, MI and passed peacefully in hospice care on April 10, 2016 at 93 years of age. Previously a resident of Hazel Park, MI; she had resided in Ft. Lauderdale, FL since 1977. The 10th child of William Stevenson and Annie Laurie Sims, she was preceded by her husband Francis S. Coppel and son Lee Steven. Susan is survived by her son Richard (Cindy) of Queen Creek, AZ, and grandchildren Chad (Chanelle) of Mesa, AZ, Christopher of Queen Creek, Clinton (Tricia) of Atlanta, GA, and Celisse of Salt Lake City, UT, and two great grandchildren. Visitation and service at Kraeer-Fairchild Funeral Home at 4061 N. Federal Hwy, Ft. Lauderdale, FL on Thursday, April 14th from 4:00-8:00pm, with service at 7:00pm.

Susan left Pickford and attended Business College soon after high school. However, before she could readily put those new skills to work, World War II broke out. During the War, she worked at various positions in the Detroit area supporting the war efforts like many women of that time. Shortly after end of the war, Francis Shaw Coppel left California and his job at North American Aviation designing the no longer needed P-51 fighter aircraft and moved to the Detroit area where the auto industry was starting up again. His cousin Barbara Shaw Cleland, who was a mutual friend of Susan, and who has remained as life-long friend until Sue’s passing, introduced them. They married in June 1946 and Richard was born in July 1947. Francis worked as a body engineer for Briggs Manufacturing, which was then bought by Chrysler Corporation in 1953, and he subsequently retired in 1976.

Susan was able to finally utilize her business skills, and worked as an Executive Secretary for the Hearst Advertising Corporation in Detroit until the birth of her second son, Lee. She worked part-time as a secretary to St. Margaret’s Church in Hazel Park, and also volunteered and worked in positions on her condo board in Ft. Lauderdale later, where she resided for about 39 years. Coincidently, her first grandchild was born on the day they purchased the condo!

Susan was the baby of the Stevenson family born over a period of 22+ years, and she was preceded in death by her brothers: Robert (100 last year prior to passing), Clifford, Fred, Bill, Alex, infant Verne, and her sisters Annie Allan, Charlotte Kaspar, and Mary Cruickshank. Many nieces and nephews also survive her, as well as grandnieces and grandnephews.

Her cremated ashes will be interred at White Chapel Cemetery in Troy, MI joining Francis and Lee in adjoining plots. There is no service on that end.

Please leave a condolence at www.KraeerFairchild.com

Arrangements under the direction of Kraeer-Fairchild Funeral Home and Cremation Center, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.