Sue Neal's Obituary
Sue was born and raised in Muskegon, along with her five siblings, to the late Leslie and Alice Cole. After graduating from Muskegon Catholic Central in 1967, she enrolled at Ferris State University and went on to earn a degree in Dental Laboratory Technology. Sue met Stephen shortly after graduation, and after he returned from his deployment to Vietnam, they married at St. Jeans Catholic Church on July 24, 1971 . Sue and Steve were two peas in a pod – they each rode their own motorcycles around town prior to having children. While initially Sue stayed home to raise Dominic, Jaime and Josh, those gremlins were eating her out of house and home. She took a job at Walgreens on Sherman and Henry, over the next 20 years she became one of the most well-respected store managers in the area.
Sue’s love for the color green was no secret. She bled green whether it was for the Spartans or John Deere; fueling an in-house rivalry between those blasted Wolverines and MSU. The “Big Game” was an annual event at the Neal household, involving lots of food, drinks and swearing.
After her retirement in 2012, Sue and Steve bought a travel trailer and enjoyed camping throughout Michigan with family. They loved Castle Rock in St. Ignace (thanks to the casino close by), traveled to Shipshewana, and were allegedly banned from the campground at Tahquamenon Falls (Tuan-con-na-mo for those that can speak Sue-ense) for having too much fun. Sue continued to camp after Steve’s death, with her beloved dog Gizzy and her close family as company.
While Sue enjoyed her work and loved her family, her favorite job was grandma. She absolutely loved her grandsons – Tyler, Sean and Conner – her face would light up every time they entered the room. She had a special language with her grandsons, speaking in grunts and nonsense that only they understood. Her screaming laughter elicited shrieks from the boys, creating a loving chaos whenever they were together.
After 13 years Sue is finally reunited with her partner in crime Steve. Sue may be gone, but her stubbornness and sarcasm will live on through her children; Dominic (Theresa) Neal, Jaime (Leah) Neal, Joshua (Sarah) Neal, grandsons Tyler Ellis, Sean and Conner Neal and her four legged companions Samantha Jane and Finn.
To honor the in-house rivalry the family invites you to wear your green and white or maize and blue.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made in Sue’s memory to Dogwood Shores Assisted Living Facility.
A Memorial Service will be held at 1:00 PM on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at The Lee Chapel of Sytsema Funeral & Cremation Services, 6291 S. Harvey St., Norton Shores, MI 49444, with a visitation one-hour prior. A Visitation with the family will be held from 6-8:00 PM on Friday, May 2, 2025, at The Lee Chapel. Share memories with the family at www.sytsemafh.com.
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