Kindly ‘Witch of Wellington’ known for her black attire
Ray Suzan Strauss, 86, was always friendly, acquaintances said.
Everyone in Wellington saw her walking around town, but hardly anyone really knew her.
The iconic “Witch of Wellington,” known for her curious and conspicuous attire of a black dress and black pointed cap, passed away Sept. 1 from heart disease. Ray Suzan Strauss, 86, was always soft-spoken and friendly, according to accounts of multiple people who interacted with her.
But other than that, her life was a mystery to Wellington residents who were intrigued, but always respected her privacy.
Lisa Goldman, a 22-year Wellington resident, said she would see Strauss walking around everywhere, always donning her familiar black garb “whether it was 100 degrees out or 50 degrees.”
“She had a way of walking pin straight, very slow and very deliberate,” Goldman said, who posted the news on Facebook, getting more than 1,500 shares and dozens of comments.
Goldman and her children always called her “the lady in black” because she didn’t think of Strauss as a witch — a word that sometimes has a negative connotation.
Some believe she embraced the witch title, but like much else about her life, people don’t know for sure.
Photographer Matt Dean took a trip to her house in 2006 to talk to her and take a portrait photo.
The biggest thing Dean remembers is she didn’t have air conditioning and the house was sweltering. Like everyone else, he remembers her as being nice and a little shy. Her home was as eccentric as her personality with bright-colored walls, a blue-velvet couch and interesting decor.
“She was just very soft and gentle and quiet and shy,” he said.
What is known — Strauss had two children, and the family is Orthodox Jewish, according to a Keep up with The Post’s complete coverage of Wellington on its Facebook page dedicated to the village. On Facebook, search for Post on Wellington.
representative of Boulevard-Riverside-Hewlett Chapel, of Hewlett, N.Y., which handled the services. Strauss’ children declined comment through the chapel. Her body was taken to New Jersey, where they held a graveside service at King Solomon Cemetery.
T h e l a s t t i me a nyo n e s aw Strauss was in late August, but her children became suspicious when they were unable to reach her for more than a week, according to the medical examiner’s report. When a Palm Beach County sheriff ’s deput y went to check on things, her body was found on the kitchen floor. No foul play is suspected, according to the report, which estimated the body had been dead for three to five days.
Before she was known for hanging around stores like Wal-Mart and Goodwill in Royal Palm Beach