Suzanne Sippel obituary

Suzanne Jean Sippel, age 56, of Augusta, MI, died
tragically Tuesday evening, June 7, 2016 in a
cycling accident near Kalamazoo, MI. Since 1981
Suzanne was married to Stephen Hamilton, who
survives. She is also survived by her son, Lucas
Hamilton of Augusta; her parents, Robert and Jean
Sippel of Dearborn Heights, and a brother, Norman
(Muriel) Sippel of Grantham, England.
Suzanne loved cycling, running, hiking, yoga, and
traveling. She enthusiastically supported cross
country and other programs in the Gull Lake
Community Schools, served on the board of the
Parks Foundation of Kalamazoo County, and
previously served on the Ross Township Planning
Commission and the Four Townships Water
Resources Council.
She pursued her love for the outdoors in her professional career as well, including many
years of field research together with her husband in Venezuela, Brazil, and
Australia. She worked for Michigan State University’s Kellogg Biological Station as a
data manager on sustainable agriculture research projects since 1995. She held degrees
from the University of Colorado and the University of California at Santa Barbara. She
was known and loved by many in the community, and had a charming smile, a distinctive
laugh, and a deep appreciation of life.
A celebration of Suzanne’s life will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 23, 2016 at
the Kellogg Biological Station, 3700 E. Gull Lake Drive in Hickory Corners, MI,
officiated by Rev. Julie Kline. Memorial donations in honor of Suzanne may be directed
to expand the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail through the Parks Foundation of Kalamazoo
County, P.O. Box 50467, Kalamazoo, MI 49005. Online donations can be sent to:
http://www.parksfoundationkalamazoo.com/DonateConstruction.php
Arrangements by the Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral Home & Cremation Care, Richland
Chapel. Personal messages for the family may be placed at www.farleyestesdowdle.com.