Suzanne Alice Canteberry

Suzanne (Suzy) Alice Canteberry, 92, of Naples, Florida, after a long struggle with breast cancer died Saturday July 14th at her home in Naples. Suzy was born on June 29, 1926, to Joseph and Marcel (Coiffurier) Caire, in Paris, France. She met her future husband Virgil (Bud) Canteberry in Paris where he was serving in the U.S. Army during WWII. At the end of the war in 1945 Bud was discharged in the United States but returned to France in 1946 where they were wed in September of that year in Paris. In late 1946 Suzy moved with her new husband to his hometown of Flint, Michigan. Prior to her marriage she obtained her high school degree and worked briefly in the fashion and banking fields before leaving for the States. Suzy’s first challenge upon arrival to Flint was learning the English language which she accomplished by going to the movies, listening to the radio and through the patience and help of her new mother in law. Despite eventually mastering English she never lost her French accent which family and friends found both charming and endearing. In the course of her early life as a new bride, aside from Flint, she also lived in Valparaiso and Gary Indiana and Provo Utah. Suzy and Bud eventually settled in Battle Creek, Michigan, where she lived for 38 years. In Battle Creek she was employed by Michigan National Bank where she had a variety of positions at that institution including teller, bookkeeper, mortgage and loans as well as “interpreter” when the necessity arose. She retired after over 25 years of service to MNB. A year after the death of her husband and unafraid of the challenge, without family or friends in Florida, she moved to South Florida in 1991 seeking the warmth and the sun. Always gregarious and interested in people she wasn’t without friends for long in Florida. Her French heritage contributed to a lifelong love of good food, music, especially Pavarotti, and French history, particularly Napoleon. She truly was a witness to history, having endured the occupation and the eventual liberation of her beloved Paris. Aside from her husband and parents and daughter in law, Donna, she was also preceded in death by her sole brother in France who died 12 hours prior to her passing. Sister and brother both died on Bastille Day, one of the most significant holidays in France. Suzy is survived by her son, Michael, her sister-in-law Rose White of Montrose, Michigan, along with nieces in Flint and Montrose, Michigan, Washington and a nephew in Mequon, Wisconsin, as well as a niece in Enghien, France, and a nephew in Toulouse, France. Her gentle soul will be missed by countless relatives in Northern Italy not to mention many friends throughout the United States and Europe. Burial will be at Fort Custer National Cemetery in Michigan and Paris, France, on dates to be announced.

Suzanne Alice Canteberry

June 29, 1926 - July 14, 2018