Suzanne Dorothy Strott's Obituary
On Chicago’s hottest day of the year in 1942, Sue was born to William and Georgiana (Vesely) Walter at St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Soon after she joined an older brother, Bill, at home.
She graduated from the Blessed Agnes parochial school in 1956 and later, Providence High School in 1960.
Sue worked for the Railroad Retirement Board on Chicago’s Rush Street and later, as a ticket agent for Braniff International Airlines at O’Hare International Airport, where, in the course of her duties, she obtained the autograph of Astronaut John Glenn for her brother, Bill, who was then in Navy flight training.
She soon met Bob Torrance and went on to marry him in a suburb of Toronto, Ontario. They divorced after 6 years and Sue moved to the Tampa Bay area to be close to her Mother and Stepfather, Gigi and Bob Buchman.
Not long after, she met and married the love of her life, Army Veteran Jack Strott, a High School Science teacher. They did not part until he passed in 2001. Theirs was a life full of the appreciation of nature, frequent visits to their weekend homes in Citrus County’s Arrowhead region and on the Suwanee River in North Florida, traveling in the U.S.A. and abroad as well as hunting for deer, hogs and elk.
Sue was a gourmand with specialty dishes acquired from her Slavic forbears, but many of her dishes were inspired by her husband’s penchant for Southern cooking. A favorite time for friends and family was their annual “wild game feasts’ held during the holidays where one meat was always “the mystery meat”. It was then that Sue mastered, for example, the preparation of goat and armadillo!
After Jack’s passing, Sue became involved with a singles group of like-minded individuals and also became a member of the Columbiettes at St. Paul’s, her Catholic Church Parish. She was also known to care for the homeless with the St. Vincent DePaul organization.
Sue managed 3 apartments on her property which she kept filled with tenants for many years. More recently, she was best known for her fabulous landscape paintings, of which there are many in existence today.
She was preceded in passing by her parents, Bill Walter (1913-1963), Georgiana (Vesely) Walter Bucman (1917-2006), stepfather Bob Bucman (1905-1987) and husband, Jack Strott (1933-2001). She leaves to grieve her loss, her stepchildren, Alan Strott, Bradley Strott (Joyce), Douglas Strott (Jackie) and Valeree Strott and brother, Bill Walter (Helen) and numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and many special friends.
Visitation will be 5pm – 7pm Friday, June 14, 2019 in the chapel of Memorial Park Funeral Home 5750 49th St. N, St Petersburg, Florida 33709. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 am Saturday, June 15, 2019 at St. Paul Catholic Church 1800 12th St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33704. She will be laid to rest in Memorial Park Cemetery, St Petersburg, Florida. In her honor, memorial contributions are suggested to the American Heart Association – Greater Southeast Affiliate PO Box 840692 Dallas, TX 75284-0692. Online memories and condolences may be shared on Sue’s tribute page at www.memorialparkfuneralhome.com
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