Suzin Bernadette Greenway (née Sue Marie Bernadette Neff), aged 71, of Stockbridge, MI, passed away peacefully on April 23, 2024, under the care of The Willows at Okemos and Heart to Heart Hospice.
She was born on August 10, 1952, in Oakland County, MI to Robert and Mary Neff and was the youngest of five siblings. Suzi (as she was informally known), by her own account, was a willful, challenging child and kept her independent streak throughout her entire life. Her independent nature led her to move to England immediately after graduating from high school in 1970 at age 17, living initially with her friend pen pal Lynn Maskell. During her four years there, she worked as a secretary, then a mail carrier, enjoyed traveling throughout Great Britain and learning the art of British baking. She also met her first husband Richard Greenway, who taught her to ride on a 1961 BSA Bantam motorcycle, then gave it to her as an engagement present. Suzi's passion for motorcycling grew and became a major focus of her life. In 1974, they moved to the USA, and wanting a rural setting, they purchased a farm bungalow in White Oak Twp/Stockbridge, MI. Suzi was a proud resident of Stockbridge for almost fifty years. She took great pride in keeping her home neat and tidy. She enjoyed working in her yard, tending the garden, and filling her bird feeders.
Over the years she was a photographer, housekeeper, professional baker, sous chef, inn keeper, caregiver, writer, actress, community activist, and market manager. She was very proud to serve as president of the International Norton Owners Association motorcycle club for over twenty years, also serving as secretary for the Michigan Norton Owners chapter. She organized many motorcycle gatherings which attracted thousands of motorcyclists to the Stockbridge area for years. She served on the board of the Stockbridge Area Wellness Coalition for over a decade, managed the Open Air Market of Stockbridge for 13 years, and participated in Town Hall Players' productions. One of her proudest moments was having the black and white portrait she took of Judge Susan L. Reck, installed in the historic Livingston County Courthouse in Howell, MI during the summer of 2023.
Suzi was passionate, exuberant, friendly, and fun. She loved cats, birding, flowers, music, jokes, good food, chardonnay wine, music, celestial gazing and bringing people together. She was a big fan of NPR and public radio, often calling in on talk shows to offer her thoughts on the issue of the day. She loved to cook for her friends and would host many dinner parties throughout the years. Her keen interest in cooking started as a child when she would ask her mother to let her make something in the kitchen after dinner was over. She would eventually study culinary arts at Michigan State and win blue ribbons at state and county fairs for her breads, cookies and pies. She was grateful to be given a "second life" after a serious motorcycle encounter with a deer 24 years ago and determined from then on to be a force for positivity and good. Her giving nature expanded to help people in need, whether it was teaching them to cook, making meals for them, or serving them a meal at her own dining table. She was involved with local Community Outreach programs.
Suzi was preceded in death by her parents, and brothers, Robert and John Neff, and is survived by sister, Mary Ann (Randy) Fulkerson; brother, Thomas Neff; nieces, Jennifer (Jason), Stephanie (Mark), Shannon, Julie (Doug); nephews, Matthew, Mark (Rachel), Kenneth (Tyra). Suzi also leaves behind her longtime friends, Pamela Moore, Lynn Maskell, special friend Lucas Haines, along with hundreds of friends left to cherish her memory and her beloved one-eyed barn cat, Thompson.
Oaklawn Cemetery in the Village of Stockbridge, MI will be her final resting place. There will not be a formal funeral service. An "official" memorial will be held on a later date. Many "unofficial" gatherings to remember and honor Suzi have been and will be held, including a tree-planting at Beckwith preserve to honor her work there with the Stockbridge Area Wellness Coalition. Her canopy will be set up at the Open Air Market of Stockbridge on May 3, 2024 with opportunities for people to gather and share memories, and the All Clubs Ride will be held on Sunday, May 5, 2024 in Stockbridge, MI by the Village Square.
Suzi was an avid supporter of public radio and TV, and if you would like to honor her memory, you can make a charitable donation to your local public radio and or TV station.
Arrangments by Caskey-Mitchell Funeral Home, Stockbridge.
