Susan Mary Guba

Susan Mary Guba, 96, long-time resident of Traverse City, was received into heaven on Tuesday, July 2, 2024, at Munson Medical Center. Her daughter, Gail Lawson, and son, John Guba, were by her side. Born to her Irish immigrant parents, Frank and Alice (Duggan) Norris on September 20, 1927, in Grates Cove, Newfoundland, she would have been 97 this year. Her father died when she was two, and Leo Norris, was the father she knew. She had a brother, Patrick Norris (deceased), and her close cousin, Margaret Kennedy, still living in St. John's, Newfoundland. Sue left Newfoundland at 18 and moved to Toronto, where she met John Guba at a dance in 1948. They were married in 1952 until John's passing on November 23, 2007. The couple moved to Detroit in 1953. They raised their four children, Gail Lawson, Lynn Guba (deceased 2014), David Guba (deceased 2017), and John Guba, in Mount Clemens, Bloomfield Hills, and Traverse City (1972). Summers in the 60s were spent in a stone cottage in an idyllic setting in Barrow Bay, Georgian Bay, Canada, where they formed life-long friends. Sue enjoyed boating, although spending a great share of her life on water, she never learned to swim. In 1990, they moved to Fort Myers, Florida, where they began John's retirement. In 2005, they moved "half back" to Loudon, Tennessee. They met many long-time friends along the way, including the Porters, Dawsons, Breadners, Martins, Allens, Decarlos, Brannigans, Judy Martinek, Bill and Ann Marsh, Tony and Linda Vozza. Sue loved to entertain, she was a wonderful cook and homemaker. She has traveled to many countries and our great country. Many loved ones are blessed with Susie Mae's knitted items, including many, many newborn layettes, sweaters, and afghans. She was a beautiful cross-stitcher. They were long-time members of the Traverse City Golf and Country Club and enjoyed golfing here, in Florida, and in Tennessee. Sue had a great short game and even made a hole in one in Florida! Sue was an avid reader. They raised many black labs throughout their life. She was a wonderful grandmother to her four grandchildren from David (Cindy) Guba: Sam Moser (Amanda), Grace Guba (mother Sandra Dunn), Janette Guba, and Leo Guba. Sue was a life-long Catholic, and she will be interred at St. Hugo's of the Hills, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, as per her wishes. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Cherryland Humane Society or AC Paw. We would like to thank her close neighbors at The Villages in The Commons (her home for over ten years), Brenda Voight for ten years of devoted care to Mom, Heather Adams and PACE for the past three years, and Munson Medical Emergency Department for their kindness at this difficult time. A celebration of this beautiful woman will be on August 9, 2024, from 5-7 p.m., a special date to us as it is John Guba’s 95th birthday, at the Reynolds Jonkoff Funeral home garden tent. “So Mom, we always joked that our goal was for you to celebrate your 100th birthday by being on the Al Roker Smuckers jar. Well Mom, you almost made it; we thought you’d live forever. I love you with all my heart and will miss you every day” Gailee

Susan Mary Guba

September 20, 1927 - July 2, 2024