Beverly "Sue" Irwin

A true "woman for all seasons", Beverly Sue Irwin, affectionately known as "Sue", was a generous woman of many talents. She filled a room with her presence and left a lasting impression on everyone she met. Whether talking politics, riding horses, or cheering for her favorite NASCAR driver, Sue was always ready to experience the adventures of a new day. Because of her exuberance, friends and family cherished her friendship. As the 1940's came to a close, the country was going through some changes. It was the beginning of the "Cold War" and the minimum wage was now 43 cents an hour. NASCAR was not yet NASCAR, but "stock car racing." Murphysboro, Illinois, described today as "a quiet, comfortable place to live" in 1949 was the home of coal miners and their families. One such family was Charles and Florence (Strevel) Irwin and their two sons, Charles and Edward. While Charles, Sr. worked in the coal mines, Florence cared for their home and two sons. On September 13, 1949, everyone's life was brightened with the birth of a baby girl they named Beverly Sue. In 1952, the family moved to Fruitport, Michigan. Florence was originally from Fruitport and Charles had relatives in the area. With a family to support, Charles found work at the Brunswick factory in Muskegon. Growing up, Sue attended Fruitport schools and certainly left her mark. An excellent student, she was a member of the National Honor Society and played the clarinet in the band. She had developed a mind of her own and loved to discuss politics. She had some pretty strong opinions and had no problems making her views known. Sue's brother Ed played on the school football team, and she was his most avid and vocal fan. As busy as school may have kept her, Sue found time to enjoy horses and loved going to rodeos. She even had her own horse she kept in a barn at the back of their property and was a member of the Sunset Riders. Sue loved her family, especially her nieces and nephews. She was always willing to baby-sit, and often took her young charges to the rodeo and the movies. After graduating from high school, Sue attended Western Michigan University for a year. Wanting to be closer to home, she returned to Fruitport and began classes at Muskegon Business College. With new skills added to her resume, Sue was able to get a job at Morton's Manufacturing in Muskegon Heights, doing bookkeeping. From there she went to the Fruitport Community Schools, working in the business office. Sue loved her job and stayed with the school district for the next 15 years. Always looking for something new, Sue's last job was working at Catholic Social Services as an Administrative Assistant. It was her responsibility to coordinate the Foster Grandparent Program for Muskegon County. It was the perfect job for Sue, and she loved knowing she was helping children. In the early 1970's, while working on a production at the Port City Playhouse, Sue met a young man named Tom Schneider. Tom was a carpenter and both enjoyed working "behind the scenes." They dated for the next several years and in 1972 were united in marriage. The newlyweds lived in Muskegon Heights for a while and then built a home in Fruitport. Besides their mutual interest in working at the Playhouse, they also both enjoyed sailing. Sue and Tom never had children of their own, so Sue put her motherly instincts to work caring for her three black cats, Amos, Andy and Sapphire. Under her tender care, one of them lived to be 21 years old. They were like children and whenever Sue sent someone a card, she always signed the cats' names along with hers. In 1990, Sue and Tom's marriage came to an end, but their friendship continued. Florence's health was failing so Sue moved in with her mother to care for her until her death in 2006. In spite of the hours spent at her job, working at the Playhouse, and caring for her mother, Sue still found time for many leisure activities. She had really gotten into NASCAR and each year bought season tickets to the Michigan International Speedway. Even the local dirt track races were exciting. Whenever she could, Sue brought family members along to enjoy the exhilaration of the racetrack. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Tony Stewart were her favorite drivers. Traveling was another favorite pastime, with some trips being great and others not so great. Her sister-in-law Diane often tells of the "vacation from hell". Sue, her mother, and Diane were taking a cruise that Sue had booked. Thinking she had procured a great bargain for the three of them, they sailed off for the Bahamas, only to find that their hotel rooms had no doorknobs. Sue served her community as a member of the Board of Directors for Community Schools Credit Union for many years. To keep up with the latest information, Sue traveled to credit union conventions all around the country. She also loved to read, especially fiction, mysteries and romance novels. She was proud that her nieces had picked up her love of reading and often shared her books with them. She even had time for surfing the net and playing computer games. In the summer of 2006, Sue started not feeling well. As time went on, she became worse and in January was diagnosed with a fast growing type of cancer. She fought the good fight, undergoing rounds of chemotherapy treatment, but to no avail. Beverly Sue Irwin died on April 6, 2007 with her loving family by her side. Sue Irwin did not waste a moment of her life. She filled it with family, friends and great achievements. Her biggest achievement? Leaving behind a legacy of love. Ms. Beverly Sue Irwin, age 57, died Friday, April 6, 2007. She is survived by brothers Charles (Frances) Irwin and Edward (Diane) Irwin, Fruitport; special friend Tom Schneider of Muskegon; several nieces, one nephew, great nieces and great nephews. Visitation is Monday from 6-8 PM at Clock Life Story Funeral Home. A service to celebrate her life will be held Tuesday April 10, 2007 at the First Congregational Church of Fruitport with the Rev. David Hulings officiating. Interment will take place at the Fruitport Mausoleum. Please visit Sue's personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may leave a memory or a favorite photo, or sign the online guest book. Those wishing may make a memorial contribution to the Foster Grandparents Program.