Suzanne Carlston

Suzanne Kay Carlston was a dynamic professional, invested parent and lifelong learner. She thrilled to experience other cultures and continued to be curious about religion and psychology all her life. With her passion for art, she seemed to never run out of ideas or energy for teaching and creating art. Still, her greatest joy was being a mother and grandmother, and her legacy of vitality and justice lives on in them. Suzanne Kay was born March 12, 1935 in Muskegon, Michigan to Coral (Noble) and Richard H. Bont. Amid the harshness of the Great Depression, Americans were inspired by President Franklin D. Roosevelts Fireside Chats and eager to build an economy that benefited all citizens. The Bonts did their part with Richard owning and operating The Snack Shop restaurant in downtown Muskegon and Coral teaching and managing a Tourist Home at 1237 Third Street. Their spiritual home was Central United Methodist Church. Because the Tourist Home was the family residence, Suzanne and her younger sisters Sally and Brenda couldnt help but get involved in making it a welcome place. Yet on weekends and during the summer, they all relaxed at an old Noble family home in Crystal Valley, east of Pentwater. At one time, the residence had been a post office and general store, but the Bonts transformed it into a home that the extended family could enjoy for years to come. Suzanne attended Muskegon Public Schools and graduated from Muskegon High School in 1953. About that same time, she met Jack Carlston and the two began dating. They carried on a long distance relationship when Suzanne moved with a girlfriend to Chicago and found work as a payroll clerk. In the year she was away, Suzanne and Jack kept in touch, and when she returned to Muskegon, the two married in 1955. The newlyweds began married life in a WWII Quonset hut that served as housing for couples attending Michigan State University. While in East Lansing, their daughters Laurie and Julie were born. Suzanne was in the art education program at MSU and ultimately received a masters degree from Western Michigan University. After graduation, the family moved back to Muskegon and settled in the Glenside area, where Suzanne put her artistic talent to work. She designed and built Christmas yard displays, for which she won the city wide contest several times. Glenside became the family home of four more Carlston childrenShelley, Scott, Amy and Christopher. Suzanne loved being a mother and was deeply involved in her childrens lives. At the same time, she continued to teach, first at Phillips School in the Kindergarten class and then in the Mona Shores School district when the family eventually moved to a house on Mona Lake in Norton Shores. Besides teaching elementary art, Suzanne worked on several committeessocial studies, sex education, Title IV implementationand she introduced the Summer Strings Program. She attended many workshops in art, psychology and religion and was a member of Lakewinds Painters, Muskegon Art Guild and White River Gallery in Montague. To help Suzanne out at home, May Nadalsky became the childrens nanny as well as a part of the family. Suzanne and Jack enjoyed traveling and made trips to Mexico and Europe, but as a family, they often went camping. With a small trailer that could go anywhere and kids who readily packed their clothes in old beer cases, they hit the road to such places as Tippy Dam, Silver Lake, the Upper Peninsula and Traverse City. Often times they were joined by other families and friends and created memories to last a lifetime. The Carlstons attended St. Marys Catholic Church and Central United Methodist Church. Later when they moved to Norton Shores they attended St. Francis deSales Catholic Church, where Suzanne actively used her talents in creating artwork for the church and contributing to worship as a member of the liturgy committee. She was also civic and socially minded, serving as Rectress of Cursillo #76 and fundraiser for Mission for Area People (MAP). She became a founding sister of Every Women's Place (EWP) in Muskegon and volunteered as a counselor for women in transition. She initiated the Court Watchers Program in Muskegon County and served on the Human Resources Committee for the county. Consistent with her social justice worldview, Suzanne participated in People Against Racism (PAR) and even marched on Washington DC. Gratefully, she passed along her values to her children. In 1996, Suzanne retired after teaching in the Muskegon Public Schools for more than 20 years and in administration as Community Education Director at Mona Shores for 9 years. When her marriage ended after 45 years, Suzanne moved to Rochester Hills, Michigan to be closer to some of her children and become the best Grandma in the world. For example, she would drive through snow storms just to go to one of her grandchildrens grade school plays. Suzanne was employed by the Older Persons Commission (OPC) as co-coordinator of the Asian-Pacific Program. There she met widower Thomas M. Igel, and the pair seemed to be made for each other. They married on February 18, 2006 and maintained two residences: Boyne City, Michigan for the summer and Ft. Myers, Florida during the winter. They enjoyed their time in both places, attending Unity Church in Ft. Myers and becoming involved in the arts as a member of the Fort Myers Beach Art Association and the Boyne Arts Collective in Boyne City. Recently in her active life, Suzanne began experiencing symptoms of heart failure. Despite modern medicine, her condition worsened and she died at home on October 10, 2014. Suzanne was a creative force of nature, and she will be greatly missed and remembered always by her loving family and friends. Mrs. Suzanne K (Bont) Carlston, age 79 of Rochester Hills, Michigan, is survived by her six children, Laurie (Paul) Lokar of MN, Julie Carlston FL, Shelley (Jim) Davis CA, Scott Carlston Boyne City, Amy Forrest Rochester Hills, Christopher (Melissa) Carlston CO and 16 grandchildren, Andrew Davis, Zachary Carlston, Ryan Forrest, Taylor Jo Carlston, Rachael Davis, Justin Forrest, Matthew Lokar, Adam Lokar, Stevee Lee Carlston, Lisa Davis, Kenneth Forrest, Aria Carlston, Autumn Carlston, Natalie Davis and Amelia Carlston and MacKenzie Igel. She also leaves her sisters Sally Hedges and Brenda Bont and her husband Thomas M. Igel. Step Daughter Marlene Igel of IL