Susan Jo-Ann Schiff

On Dec. 8, 2024, Susan Jo-Ann Schiff, age 84, died in her home surrounded by family. Born on Dec. 20, 1939 to Rev. Claire Carpenter and his wife Dorothy, Sue was raised across upstate New York, coming of age in the Olympic city of Lake Placid. After high school, Sue attended Cornell University. Her first marriage to Robert Zeuner brought her to Colorado, where she put down roots that would last the rest of her life.

 Following completion of a Master's Degree in Education at the University of Colorado, Sue met her second husband Howard Schiff, fulfilling her dream of becoming a mother to her children Kate and Mark. Through Sue's lifelong career in education and staff development, she was able to touch countless lives, including that of her greatest love, former Arvada High School principal Dale Toft, who died in 1997. Always in search of a higher purpose, his death helped inspire her to become a volunteer at hospice. A woman of deep-seated political and moral convictions, Sue was also a champion for civil rights and racial justice, attending Dr. Martin Luther King's famed "I have a dream" speech in Washington.

In her free time, Sue was focused on exploring her faith and building deep and lasting relationships with a large group of friends. She was also an avid sports fan of the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Broncos, and Colorado Buffaloes. She is survived by her children Kate and Mark, her brothers John and Roy, sister-in-love Susan Robbins, and countless friends who were as close as family. 

Her Celebration of Life will take place Friday, March 21, 2025 at 11am at Mile Hi Church in Lakewood, Colorado. All are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, Sue's family requests a donation to Colorado Gives in Sue's honor.