Susan (Schroeder) Craze

Susan Schroeder Craze,

77, of Bethlehem, PA, passed away peacefully on June 21, 2020. She was a loving mother and tireless fighter, and possessed unbelievable resilience and fortitude in the face of crushing family tragedies.

Born in Allentown, PA, Susan attended Cabrini College before marrying Charlie Craze in 1965.

She worked at Grumman Aircraft with the Apollo Lunar Module engineers and then received her JD from Cleveland-Marshall Law School. Susan retired undefeated after her first trial.

Susan and ‘Chic' had five children, but were plagued by the devastating loss of three as toddlers to congenital heart disease. Their remaining children, Andy and Lizzy, were also diagnosed, but were among the first to receive lifesaving heart transplants at Stanford Hospital in the early 1980s. Susan advocated tirelessly for organ transplantation and gave numerous talks on the subject, including to the American Heart Association — she could share both the grief of losing a child and the relief of receiving a donation.

Susan loved time with family, and enjoyed spending her days reading with the dogs curled up next to her and the news playing in the background. She was a Democrat all her life and a fierce political activist.

She was preceded in death by Charlie, her beloved husband of 54 years, as well as her children: Charles Jr. (Cheddy), Caitlin, Megan, and Andy; her parents: Dorothy and Joseph; her brothers: Joey and Robert (Slim), and her sister Bridget.

She will be missed by her daughter Lizzy, son-in-law Jeff, new grandson Elliott, daughter-in-law Jane, sisters Mary and Joanne, brothers Michael and Thomas, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Dave and Nance, and many more nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws, and outlaws.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in her name to Donate Life America or to your favorite Democratic organization.

When we meet again, I'll be the one wearing a hat with a feather in it.

Please sign Guest Book on www.themorningcall.com/obits