Suzanne (Atkinson) Nicholson died Wednesday, November 26, 2008 at St. Mary's Medical Center after a brief illness.

A native of Evansville, Susie was the daughter of the late William Frederick and Margaret "Peg" Lauenstein Atkinson. She graduated from Bosse High School in 1953 and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1958. Upon graduation, she returned to Evansville where she worked as a reporter and columnist at The Evansville Press, continuing the journalistic tradition of her maternal ancestors, the Lauensteins, who founded Evansville's German-language newspaper, The Demokrat.

Susie married Horace S. "Nick" Nicholson in 1959 and while raising a family began her volunteer and civic engagement that lasted a lifetime. She served in both elective and appointive governmental positions and gave leadership to many activities and organizations that improved the entire southwestern Indiana community.
One of her proudest moments as a community activist was the enactment of legislation creating the University of Southern Indiana as a separate state university in 1985, something she knew would benefit all of southwestern Indiana. This October, in recognition of her "personal volunteer efforts, advice, and expertise consistently present in shaping the University of Southern Indiana," she was inducted into the prestigious USI President's Circle.
In her professional life, she used her organizational skills as office manager of Hartig Electric and as corporate secretary and treasurer of Superior Electric, which she co-owned with her husband. Susie was director of development at St. Mary's Medical Center Foundation before joining the University of Southern Indiana as director of development and ultimately as president and chief operating officer of the USI Foundation. She retired from the University in 2006 after 20 years of service, a time of exceptional growth for the USI Foundation.

Under her management, the assets of the USI Foundation grew from about $600,000 to nearly $52 million. Scholarship assets grew from $250,000 to more than $25 million, and the University undertook its successful first capital campaign, which brought $24 million to the Foundation. She was instrumental in developing the University's Presidential Scholarship program and treasured her relationships with the valedictorians and salutatorians who benefitted from those scholarships. In recognition of her service, the USI Foundation Board of Directors created the Suzanne A. Nicholson Leadership Award, given to an individual who embodies Susie's zeal for meeting the needs of the University of Southern Indiana. She also was honored at her retirement by the USI Alumni Association, which conferred its Special Recognition Award.

Susie's volunteerism began with the Junior League of Evansville, which she served as an active member for 20 years, becoming the League's longest serving active member. In 1974-75, she became president, following in her mother's footsteps and creating the League's only mother-daughter president duo. Out of her League work came the idea to create a community leadership program, and she organized and chaired a committee to start Leadership Evansville, the third such organization in the nation. In 1976, she became the founding president of the organization which has thrived in Evansville for more than three decades. Named an honorary member of Leadership Evansville in 1978, Susie received the Distinguished Leader Award from both Leadership Evansville and the National Association of Community Leadership Organizations in 1987. In 2006, she again was honored by Leadership Evansville on its 30th anniversary.

Active in the Republican Party, Susie served ten years as an elected member of the Evansville City Council. She also had served on the Knight Township Advisory Board continuously since 1995. Appointed to the Evansville Water and Sewer Utility Board, Susie served from 2001-2003 and became the first woman president of the board. She also was president of the city's Board of Park Commissioners during the time that the first Swonder Ice Rink was constructed. At the time of her death, she was a member of the Burdette Park Advisory Board, helping to create the Park's bicycle trails between the park and the University of Southern Indiana.
Susie enjoyed her presidency of her late aunt's charitable trust, the Martha and Merritt deJong Foundation, which has supported many arts programs, including those at the Evansville Museum of Arts, History, and Science and the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra. She served the Orchestra on its Board of Directors, as a member of the Guild, and at the time of her death as Development Committee chair. She also had been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Museum.

A lifelong member of First Presbyterian Church of Evansville, Susie was an ordained elder, served on the Board of Trustees and the Session, chaired the Congregational Study Task Force, the Pastor Nominating Committee, and was consultant for the capital campaign. She also established and chaired the Planned Giving Committee. Susie was the driving force behind the purchase of the church's renowned Fisk Pipe Organ.

Susie's fund-raising expertise was sought by many community organizations, including St. Mary's Medical Center Foundation, United Way of Southwestern Indiana, University of Evansville's FEE Campaign, Evansville Day School, Welborn Baptist Foundation, the Master Gardeners Association, the Evansville Murals Project, and the Student Aid and Counseling Services. With her husband, she was founding co-chair of the University of Evansville Parents Association. Professionally she was active in the national Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), Evansville Fund Raising Council, and the National Council for Planned Giving. After her husband's retirement she and Nick earned the Master Gardener designation. Susie loved flowers and took great delight in her garden.

Susie was named a Sagamore of the Wabash by Indiana Governor Robert D. Orr in 1986 and a Kentucky Colonel by Kentucky Governor John Y. Brown in 1983. She was selected as an Athena Award finalist in 2006 by the Evansville Athena Award Committee. She also was an active member of Rotary Club of Evansville.
In addition to her parents, Susie was preceded in death by her husband, Nick; her sister, Margaret "Peggy" Keller; both of Evansville, and her sister-in-law, Virginia "Gia" Nicholson Stanonis, of Henderson, Kentucky.

She is survived by her two sons and daughters-in-law, Eric W. and Pamela Kalanick Nicholson of Hendersonville, Tennessee; and Dr. Christopher S. and Deanne Behm Nicholson of Richmond, Virginia; her granddaughters Ashley, Katlin, and Emily Nicholson of Hendersonville, Tennessee; and Ann and Katherine "Kate" Nicholson of Richmond, Virginia; her brothers-in-law James H. Keller of Fort Myers, Florida; and Frank L. Stanonis of Henderson, Kentucky. In addition, she is survived by nieces and nephews Gretchen Keller Huff of Newburgh; Vickie Stanonis Poynter of Montgomery, Texas; and Frank Lee Stanonis Jr. of Clearwater, Florida.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, November 28, at Ziemer Funeral Home East Chapel, 800 S. Hebron Avenue, Evansville, and one hour prior to services at the church.

Services will be at 12 Noon, Saturday, November 29, at First Presbyterian Church, Second and Mulberry Streets, Evansville, the Rev. Kevin Fleming officiating. Burial will be at Oak Hill Cemetery. Memorial gifts may be made to the Horace S. and Suzanne A. Nicholson.

November 27, 2008
What a wonderful life of accomplishments and service this exceptional lady had. Our community is in her debt.
Pam

November 27, 2008
May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.
Pamela Hurley (Evansville)