Chris Susha, 60, vice president of the Valley of the Moon Vintage Festival board, passed away recently due to complications arising from cancer. Susha’s dedication and service to the community will live on in those that knew him as well as the events that he helped bring to life.
“Chris adored Sonoma,” said Kathy Harold, his companion of 25 years. “We chose this community in which to make our home, and Chris just jumped right in to help, volunteering at events he truly loved and cared about, like the Vintage Festival and the Charles Schwab Golf Tournament.”
It was on the Vintage Festival board where Susha truly shined, having served for the past seven years, even stepping up to be board president for one term.
Chuck Fortlage met Susha when the two were board members of the festival. “Chris did one fine job of organizing the event,” said Fortlage. “He set up systems to make everything run smoothly. He was a great guy and a great worker.”
Susha’s keen organizational sense came partly from his degree in logistics warehousing from Penn State and from his years as a logistics analyst for Federal Express. But perhaps more dear to Susha than his baccalaureate were the years he spent playing football under legendary Nittany Lions’ coach, Joe Paterno. “JoePa was like a surrogate father to Chris and he cherished his time on that team,” said Harold.
Susha will be remembered as a fervent volunteer, a dog lover, an avid sports fan and an all-around good guy. Donations can be made in Susha’s name to Pet’s Lifeline.
Friends and family are invited to attend a celebration of Chris’ life to be held at 11:00 a.m. on April 25 at Il Davide Restaurant, 901 A. St., San Rafael, Calif.
All attendees are encouraged to dress casual and/or in quintessential Chris Susha attire: khaki pants or shorts, polo shirt, and topsiders with no socks.
Please RSVP by April 17 to joseph_hebel@yahoo.com and please indicate on the RSVP if interested in sharing some sentiments.
