Susan "Suzi" Gold-Rodriguez

Susan “Suzi” Gold-Rodriguez, 65, of Lake Zurich, passed away unexpectedly but peacefully at home on July 20, 2021. She was born on September 26, 1955 in Okinawa, Japan to Federico Rafols and Matsuko (nee Shimabukuro) Gold.

On November 9, 1985, Suzi was united in marriage to Alex Rodriguez at St. Michael’s Church in Chicago. The couple enjoyed 35 years of love and companionship. Together they had two daughters who were their greatest joys.

Suzi graduated with high honors from Senn High School in Chicago. She was a baton twirler and a popular girl, earning her the title of Prom Queen. She graduated from University of Illinois at Chicago where she earned her nursing degree. Suzi was very detail oriented and enjoyed helping others; these traits helped her excel in her career. Her nursing career spanned over 45 years and she served at Ravenswood Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chicago, but spent the longest time at Advocate Condell in Libertyville.

For all her professional success, however, she was also creative and artistic, especially with her rubber stamping. She also played violin and piano, a talent she was able to pass down to her daughters and gave them the opportunity to play violin at Carnegie Hall and dance with the Joffrey Ballet.

Suzi loved to travel, wherever the plane flew the farthest was where she would want to go. She took many trips across the globe, even learned to drive stick shift while in Europe.

She also loved to shop, was a Girl Scout leader and loved dogs, especially her dog, Charlie and grand-dogs, Penny and Kona.

In addition to her husband, Suzi will be deeply missed by her loving daughters, Michelle Alize (Eric) Palmblad and Chelsea Colette (Jeffrey) O’Brien; her siblings, Theresa (Mark) Hiser, Herman (Sarah) Gold, Jane Gold, Elizabeth Cathey, Kevin (Mieda) Gold; and many nieces and nephews of the heart.

Suzi was preceded in death by her parents; her father-in-law Alex B. Rodriguez, mother-in-law Lydia Perales Rodriguez and her brother-in-law, Michael Cathey.

Memorial visitation will be Friday, July 23, 2021, from 3 PM  until 8 PM at Davenport Family Funeral Home and Crematory, 941 S. Old Rand Rd., Lake Zurich, IL 60047.

Memorial mass will be held on Saturday, July 24, 2021 at 1:30 PM at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, 33 S. Buesching Road, Lake Zurich, IL.

Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 www.stjude.org