Susan (Sue) Christine Singleton (nee Coffey), age 73, born on December 26, 1952, passed on April 24, 2026 after a long battle with lung cancer.

Sue was born to Ray and Marie Coffey, little sister to Leslie Coffey, and little indeed, as Sue never surpassed the five-foot mark in height. But small can be very mighty, and mighty she was. Smart, articulate, determined, opinionated, loving, and kind, Sue was not one to be underestimated. From her early years in Milford, where her history runs deep (time spent at sleepovers at the Promont House, wandering the halls and classrooms of the historic Milford Main and the original Milford High School), to years spent running, organizing, and holding offices together by dotting all the i’s and crossing all the t’s in long-held jobs, to raising children on her own, Sue was always true to herself.

The cast of characters of her life were unending fodder for stories and humor in spite of sometimes difficult struggles. She went through one husband twice, marrying, divorcing, then remarrying and divorcing, just to double check that he wasn’t “the one.” But even long after that final divorce, she took him in briefly when he had no other place to stay because that was Sue. Her next love was Jim with his motorcycle. But Jim’s life ended too early, and through that heartbreak she still remained open to love so she could find Bruce: “the one.” Once high school sweethearts, Sue and Bruce reconnected later in life and married, building a home and life together – watching football, traveling to the mountains, spending quiet time alone just laughing and enjoying one another – until Bruce’s passing. But Sue could tell you a story about all of them, and so many more, like nobody else. Holding friends captivated while sitting around a dinner table or from her perch on her couch, Sue’s stories were quiet, almost whispered in secret, like urban legends, with unexpected twists and slyly delivered punchlines that set the rest of the room into fits of raucous laughter.

Sue was a mother, to her own two children, but also to so many others. She loved daughter Allison and son Jeff devoutly and worked her ass off to provide for them. Living and working as a single mother was something she excelled at, in spite of the exhaustion and stress it brought. Fending for herself and her children during a time when it was perhaps even more difficult to raise children on your own, often it was getting through each day with the lights and cable still on and food on the table that was the victory. She didn’t necessarily cook the food, she probably called ahead and ordered it, but food was on the table, or more likely on a lap on the couch in front of the TV. But she always gave of herself, until there was not much left, to get her children, and all of their friends, through. She served as a model for how to make it, and enjoy it and laugh through it, even when times are tough. Sue was resourceful and independent, always finding a way through, always unwaveringly competent. Never one to ask for help herself, but always one to give it. Yet in her wisdom, she set boundaries and did not compromise on her beliefs. Not afraid to say “f— them,” she was no people pleaser. That resilience and her strength made those children who they are today. And she was extremely proud of who each of them became and how they have lived their lives. She saw those years of struggle pay off abundantly.

Coming of age during the civil rights movement, the women’s movement, and the free love counter culture movement, Sue was radicalized at a young age when it came to peace, justice, and equality and the way she lived her life and treated others was a testament to that era. An ally to all, and a loyal advocate for women’s rights, she made her beliefs known and was never one to shy away from difficult subjects with total honesty and integrity. She spoke of her experiences of single motherhood, struggling in relationships with men, often teetering on the edge of the poverty line, and being a woman during a time when being a woman in and of itself was a challenge with a startling openness. Those challenges gave her a perspective and a truth that guided her politics and how she moved through the world and treated others, and her honesty about them earned the respect of everyone who met her.

Besides Allison and Jeff, her grandson Griffin, Bruce, her sister Leslie, best friend Kim Wallace, and other cherished friends and family, Sue had other loves of her life: for many years a long drag off a fresh cigarette in a smoking section after dinner, the shows she’d watch religiously and the ones she’d binge and talk about with Allison, reading, being at home nestled on the couch or in her bed after a long day’s work, a tall glass of coke or sweet tea with lots of ice, a good misheard song lyric, crosswords and puzzles, Frisch’s vegetable soup, a warm Thanksgiving dinner (but no potatoes, she hated the texture), the music of her generation, a funny meme, a clever one-liner, not cooking and ordering out, road trips, and being right.

Sue will be remembered for the lives she touched, the way everyone laughed because she couldn’t say “Arnold Palmer,” her stories and way with words, her wit, her love for her children and grandchildren, her warmth, her laughter, and her willingness to mother and befriend so many.

Sue is survived by daughter Allison Uhrig, grandson Griffin Uhrig, sister Leslie Coffey, nephews Seth (daughter Lily) and Tyler Wallace, step-daughter Kristi Grant, and son Jeff Handley (and family). She was preceded in death by her parents Ray and Marie Coffey, step-son Justin Singleton, and husband Bruce Singleton.

A celebration of life will be held May 20, 2026, from 3pm-6pm at the Leming House, 5951 Buckwheat Rd. Milford, OH 45150.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society. 

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