Susan Chin, 63, born February 16, 1963, in Detroit, Michigan, left us on October 10, 2026, at home in Kalamazoo in the embrace of her husband, Mark Dittenbir, and their twins, Jon and Lia.

Sue loved wildflowers in miniature vases, fields of sunflowers, her father's char siu ribs, and sharing dim sum brunches. She loved skiing a freshly groomed blue run, choosing just the right iron on a par three, and concerts featuring acoustic Neil Young, quirky David Byrne, or rootsy Bonnie Raitt. She loved watching the sandhill cranes gather at dusk during their October migration, every Lake Michigan sunset, red lips and hoop earrings for special occasions, and finding a bargain on just about anything. Monet or Van Gogh? She could never quite decide.

An electrical engineer educated at the University of Michigan, Sue left a promising career at Ford Motor Company in 1993 to join Mark in Kalamazoo. She eventually found a particularly good match for her talents and values as a project manager at Mol-Son, an automotive supplier in Mattawan. Her relentless attention to detail and deadlines made her a formidable project manager, and she wasn't shy about hounding her team when necessary. She deeply appreciated the unwavering support she received from her second family at Mol-Son throughout her career, especially during her health challenges.

Sue quietly extended kindness and generosity to others, particularly those who had helped her along the way or were facing difficult personal or financial circumstances. “Paying it forward,” she'd say.

For fifteen years, Sue lived with the consequences of head and neck cancer and its treatments. Over time, these increasingly limited her ability to enjoy many of the things she loved. But they never diminished her love for Jon and Lia. She felt “double lucky” to have them and worked so hard to bring them into the world in 2003. She knew the love, care, and guidance she and Mark gave them had prepared them well for fulfilling lives.

Sue was preceded in death by her father, Kai Chin, just two weeks before her own passing. She is survived by her mother, Mei Chin; her sisters, Betty and Janet; her husband, Mark; and their children, Jon and Lia Dittenbir.

Sue’s cremation has taken place. Her family is being cared for by the Avink, McCowen & Secord Funeral Homes and Cremation Society, 129 S. Grand St., Schoolcraft, MI 49087, (269) 679-5622. Please visit www.amsfuneralhomes.com to sign Sue's guestbook and share a memory. Memorial gifts may be made in Sue's name to the National Park Foundation at https://www.nationalparks.org/.

Entirely in keeping with her unassuming nature, Sue requested no memorial gathering or service. Instead, please drink only the neck from a bottle of Oberon in her honor.