Susan Kay Vandervliet (Rabbers) passed away unexpectedly in Charlottesville, Virginia on February 12, 2024, peacefully at the age of 70. Susan is survived by her husband Bob Vandervliet; children Heather Strawn (Keiser) and Andy Keiser; stepchildren Lacey Legowicz (Manning), Jason Vandervliet, and Melissa Rauccio (Vandervliet); siblings Thom, Jodi, and Dan Rabbers; and her eight beloved grandchildren Brady, Lucy, Kate, Campbell, Grey, Tyler, Nathan, and Ava. She is preceded in death by her mother, Kathleen Gaut (Rabbers), stepfather Dell Gaut and brother Jim Rabbers.

Through love, drive and grit, Susan built a beautiful extended family with her as the matriarch. Her priority was spending time with family and friends, creating lasting memories. Possessing a heart of gold, Susan never missed ANY occasion or holiday to celebrate. Though she preferred an in-person gathering, if you were far away you were sure to get a card or a box of cookies to show her love. Susan’s final weekend on earth consisted of driving four hours to her grandchildren’s sporting events and bringing them their Valentine’s Day baskets early – exactly how she would have scripted it. Susan was the biggest cheerleader on the sidelines for her grandchildren, or her family or friends in their lives.

Susan grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan as the oldest of five children. Her childhood yielded fond memories of her grandparents, her mother, and getting into hijinks with her siblings like staying up too late to watch Johnny Carson or hosting a neighborhood carnival. She enjoyed laughing with her brothers and sister throughout her life. Susan graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School, where she was a majorette in the band, and later received her associate degree from Davenport University.

In the 1970’s Susan married first husband Bob Keiser and had two children Heather and Andy. Through her second marriage in the 1990’s, stepdaughter Lacey Manning came into her life.

In a private ceremony in Virginia in 2007, Susan married Bob Vandervliet. They built a wonderful life together on or around Lake Anna, Virgina, within driving distance to most of her grandchildren. She embraced stepchildren Jason, Melissa, and their families.

In her career, Susan was an accomplished, determined employee in various hospitality fields including the restaurant industry and residential home sales. Susan personified a rare commitment and professionalism to get the job done, while creating life-long friends with coworkers, managers, and customers alike. Her work ethic, instilled at an early age, was unparalleled and carries on through her children.

Few people are as invested in others as Susan was - there was no better person to have in your corner. Susan leaves a lasting legacy of tenacity, kindness, and curiosity for others to emulate. Like her mother, her pure joy at the little things like special moments with family was infectious such as movie date nights, playing ping-pong or Monopoly or the White Elephant game at Christmas. Though such a sudden loss is difficult for all, the family takes comfort in knowing we will remember Susan as she was – healthy, lively, loving, and always smiling.

Susan had an unrelenting sense of adventure that led her to try new things like Zumba, photography, Michael Jackson dancing, parasailing– she was full of life until her final day. There was not a place she would not want to travel to, a person she would not want to get to know, a recipe she wouldn’t want to try, or a new restaurant she would not want to visit with her husband Bob or other family and friends. She loved to laugh, she loved to love, and she loved to live.

Though Susan resided in Virginia for the past twenty years, her soul is in Michigan. As such, the family invites Susan’s friends and family to a celebration of her life on April 6, 2024, from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at The Desenberg, 251 E Michigan Ave Suite 108, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Attendees are encouraged to bring letters to Susan or photos to remember her. A private internment service will take place prior at Mt. Ever Rest Memorial Park South in Kalamazoo, where her final resting place will be near her beloved mother, stepfather, grandmother, and grandfather.

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that any donations be made in Susan Vandervliet’s honor to the Louisa County Resource Council online at: louisaresource.org or via mail at: P. O. Box 52, 147 Resource Lane, Louisa, VA 23093. Paying tribute to her late brother Jim, Susan was a leader combatting hunger in her community. Another place important in her life that she visited weekly was the Louisa County Library. You can contribute in her honor at: jmrl.org/donate or 881 Davis Hwy, Mineral, VA 23117.

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