Suzanne LaFleur Zitzke (formerly Hutchinson) born to eternal life on, June 18, 2025, at the age of 98. She is survived by her children: Cherie LaFleur, Gail (Thomas) Junemann, Linda LaFleur, Joel Winchester; her grandchildren: Davis (Catherine) Junemann, Katie (Aaron) Thompson, Connie Meeks, Ginger (Justin) Staley, Kane (Teresa) Stoiber, Mathew (Angie) Hutchinson, Daniel (Sara) Hutchinson, Nena Hutchinson, Lynea Hutchinson and Marshall Hutchinson, and Joel's step son Billy (Nikki) Lawrence; her great grandchildren: Nolan, Elliot, Allie, Grant, Carson, Braden, Cole, Mitchell, Brady, Brenna, Noah, Aurora (Anthony), Logan, step sister Kassi (Sam); and her great, great grandchildren: Danica, Dakota, Denver and Violet.
She is also survived by her stepdaughter Pamela McCarthy; her step grandson Dean (Katie) Hoffman Jr., and step-great grandchildren Porter and Clover. Further survived by nieces, nephews, other relatives, and special family friends Rita (Bill) Forrester.
Susan is preceded in death by her parents, her brothers Norbert, Joseph (Elaine), Anthony and William LaFleur; her grandson Jacob Kirchberger on 7/28/2018, her son Thomas Hutchinson on 10/26/2021, her step daughter Debra Denise Zitzke on 12/27/2021, and her husband Walter Zitzke on 8/3/2023.
Susan Harriette LaFleur was born to Norbert Edward LaFleur and Leona Pauleen Katzka LaFleur in the city of Chicago, Illinois on March 18, 1927. At that time, she had one older brother, Norbert LaFleur, but three younger brothers came after her: Joseph LaFleur, Anthony LaFleur and William LaFleur.
The LaFleur family lived in Milwaukee, and Suzanne went to Holy Redeemer, then Custer High School.
She married Keith Herbert Hutchinson on February 15, 1947 at St. Michael’s Church in Milwaukee when she was 19. They had six children: Mary, Thomas, Cherie, Gail, Linda and Joel. They lived in a tiny 3 bedroom, 1 bath, no basement, house on Bennett Street by Saint Gregory the Great Church in Milwaukee. When Keith earned an engineering promotion at A.O. Smith, they built a big tri-level house kitty corner from Shady Lane Elementary School in Menomonee Falls, WI.
Suzanne was a homemaker for their six children. She was a great cook, baker, and seamstress. As the kids grew, she was active in the PTA, while studying until she received a high school diploma from the State of Wisconsin. She always enjoyed singing, dancing and creating art. She watched Johnny Carson on TV until midnight.
When Keith and Sue divorced, Susan H. Hutchinson kept her name, and took a job as a teacher’s aide and continued her education by enrolling in cosmetology school. When she finished, she took a job as a beautician at a small shop on 82nd and Lisbon in Wauwatosa.
One day she went to a party at her brother Joe’s house and she found her new love, a firefighter, Walter Zitzke, who had two girls Pamela and Deborah.
Years later, on October 25, 1979, Suzanne and Walter took a trip to Hawaii with Joe, who was Suzanne’s brother, and Elaine, who was Walter’s sister. Joe and Elaine were already married.
When Suzanne and Walter got married it was brother and sister married brother and sister. They surprised the eight children with postcards that they eloped and got married!
On February 28, 1987, when Walter retired, they moved to Florida so they could golf year-round! Their many friends arranged vacations in different states, that always included a variety of golf courses and fun with their group.
They lived in Tarpon Springs, FL, three blocks away from Joe and Elaine. They generously invited friends and family to stay with them when they had vacation days, holidays, or they needed an escape due to hurricanes in other parts of the USA.
They moved back to Menomonee Falls when they started having medical issues. Suzanne was happy again to be surrounded by the children, grandchildren and now great grandchildren. Their door was always open!
After Walter died in 2023, Suzanne went to Vista Pointe, an assisted living place in Menomonee Falls. With the caring at Vista Pointe like June and April and an amazing activities director like Jackie, the residents are kept busy and they socialize. Suzanne enjoyed all the activates offered, especially when the animals came. She remembered all the songs and sang with the singers, and she loved to watch the dancers. The staff are unique and supportive. To the end, she said she was lucky to be at Vista Pointe and lucky to have a big family to visit her. Don’t be sad, she fixed her hair and put on lipstick every day to the end, and she knew she was lucky to have a lovely life for 98 years.
Our many thanks also to the excellent services of VITAS Hospice!
Visitation on Friday, July 18, 2025 at the Schmidt and Bartelt Funeral Home, N84 W17937 Menomonee Ave in Menomonee Falls from 1PM until time of the Memorial Service at 3PM. Inurnment on Monday, August 4, 2025 at 1PM at Southern Wisconsin Veterans Cemetery in Union Grove where she will be laid to rest next to Walter. In lieu of flowers, kindly donate to a charity of choice.
(The Funeral Home's main entrance on Menomonee Ave. is under construction. It is open for traffic coming westbound from Appleton Ave. but not east bound. There are two other entrances to the Funeral Home. One is on the east side off of Shady Lane and the other is on the southwest side off of Town Hall Rd.)
