Suzan Hafer

April 12, 2022

Suzan Hafer (nee White) passed away peacefully after a 6 month battle with cancer, and a 45 year fight with M.S. Suzan was born on May 23, 1950 in Philadelphia and attended Good Shepherd Grade School (now Divine Mercy Parish) in Southwest Philadelphia and West Catholic Girls High school graduating in 1968. Suzan married her husband of 50 years, Bill in 1972 and they had 5 children. Suzan was diagnosed with M.S. at 26, but she never once let M.S. stop her or define her. What would define Suzan, and her life, were her children. She knew her 5 children were life’s greatest blessings. She wasn’t just mom, or “Suz” as she was affectionately called, she was a friend. A best friend. A shoulder, an ear, a sarcastic remark. An answer to a question, a dictionary, a cookbook. Suzan loved music, and always had music playing in the house when her children were growing up. She loved all types of music and the louder it was played, the better. She cooked for a family of 7 every night, crawled up and down steps, carried items in her mouth to get them to her children. Crawled when she couldn’t walk. She made sure her kids had everything she could. Because, her kids were her life. She NEVER complained, she never raised her voice. She never lost her patience. She never let her struggles stop her. And she never, not once, lost her smile. Suzan continued to smile through the face of adversity right up until the last day of her life. No matter what life threw her way, Suzan never once lost her smile. She never lost her razor sharp wit, and sarcastic sense of humor. She continued to amaze teams helping to care for her in the final days of her life by always greeting them with a smile. When asked how she can continue to smile through now a cancer diagnosis, Suzan responded “you can’t change anything, you might as well smile” Suzan is predeceased by her parents Frederic and Lucy White, a brother Fred and a granddaughter, Erin. She is survived by her husband of 50 years Bill and their 5 children: Billy (Renee), Michael (Andrea), Marianne, Christian (Majorie), and Elizabeth. She is also survived by her 5 grandchildren and a sister Lynda (Van Eckes) and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Relatives and friends are invited to her Mass of Christian Burial at 11 AM on Monday, April 18, 2022 from the Divine Mercy Parish, 6667 Chester Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19142. She will be buried with her parents at SS Peter & Paul Cemetery, Springfield,PA. Arrangements were entrusted to the Rachubinski & Rogers Funeral Homes, if you wish to share online condolences please visit www.rachubinskiandrogersfh.com All who met Suzan immediately fell in love with her dimpled smile, sarcastic and smart wit, and her inspiring and undeniable strength. She inspired all who knew her and defied odds for over 45 years, and the last 6 months were no exception. A lot of children look up to superhero’s when they are young. The Hafer children were lucky enough to have a real life superhero for their mother. Let Suzan’s life be a lesson to all in strength, love and overcoming adversity. She is an inspiration and will continue to be for all who knew her. Her smile will live on… “You can’t change anything, you might as well smile.