Susan “Suzie” Bovinette, 75, died Sept. 25, 2022. She is survived and dearly missed by her daughter Annette and many friends and family.

Sue was born on Aug. 8, 1947, as the first of three children. Sue called many towns home but finally settled in Columbia to be closer to family. She was a loving and caring person and retired in 2019 to be a caregiver to her mother and did so for the next two years. After the loss of her mother she next had the challenge of her own illness with lung cancer, which she fought with all her strength until the end.

Sue was full of life and was quite rambunctious. She loved her St. Louis Cardinals and enjoyed the games with much enthusiasm and also attended several with her mother and friends Cricket and Doug. Volunteering at the American Legion was something she also always looked forward to and spending time with friends at the Wednesday night bingo events.

Sue also went on to earn her Bachelors of Applied Science in 1997, and a Master’s Degree in workforce education in 1999 from SIU Carbondale. She was also a former adjunct faculty member at Southwestern Illinois College. She found her true passion when she began teaching college students and shared her love of learning.

Sue is survived by her daughter Annette (Steve) Bland of Troy; grandson Robert Bland of Troy; nephews Douglas (Kim) Lecato of Michigan and Richard Bovinette of Michigan; cousins Mary (Dennis) Snyder of Wisconsin and Trish Thiel of Florida; aunt Charlene (Rick) Hunter of Glen Carbon; special friends Jackie “Cricket” Lobstein, Scott Rachels, Carol Helmkamp, Neta Grimm and Nancy Suedkamp; other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her brother Charles Bovinette Jr.; sister, Gloria Lecato; and parents Charles and Dolores Bovinette.

A celebration of life will be held from 4-8 p.m. Oct. 19 at the Quail Club, Belleville.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions be directed to: Columbia American Legion Post 581.

Leesman Funeral Home, Columbia, handled arrangements.