Susan E. Borchert 's Obituary
Professor Susan Borchert (nee Schwartz) of Rocky River, OH and St. Petersburg, FL died on August 9 after a long battle with bronchiectasis (COPD). A professor emeritus at Lake Erie College, co-author of a book on Lakewood history, and a community volunteer, Susan was born in Columbus, OH on March 2, 1947. Her parents, Janet Goldberg Collin and Joseph Schwartz predeceased her. She grew up in several Ohio cities including Columbus, Youngstown, and Cincinnati and graduated from Cincinnati Woodward High School.
Susan earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in sociology from Ohio State University. Although she spent most of her professional career teaching sociology at Lake Erie College (1984-2005), she also taught at Adrian College (MI), Youngstown State University (OH), Ursuline College (OH), and Soledad State Prison (CA) for San Jose State University. Early in her career she served as acting director of Associated Neighborhood Centers in Youngstown and later as director of the Volunteer Center of Santa Clara (California).
She co-authored "Lakewood: The First Hundred Years 1889-1989" (1989), and articles on elites in Cleveland and elsewhere. She also published articles on Viet Nam War veterans and singles. She reviewed documentary films and books for over 30 years.
Susan was actively involved in social justice efforts serving on the Cuyahoga County Pay Equity Commission, and volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in Ohio and Florida, and the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, among others. A previous marriage ended in divorce; she is survived by her husband of 32 years, Jim Borchert, a CSU professor emeritus. Although Susan was an only child, her mother was the youngest of ten children. She is also survived by: Bruce Gilbert, MD (Susan Becher) of New York City and Berkeley, CA; Shirley Stein (Dr. Leon) of Hermitage, PA; Robert Ginsburg (Leslie) of Pittsburgh, PA; Allan Ginsburg, DDS of Boca Raton, FL; Paul Gluck (Yetta) of Youngstown, OH and AZ; Eloise Shapiro of Phoenix, AZ; Jerry Bernstein of Powell, OH and Ft. Myers, FL; Michael Goldberg (Robin) of Columbus, OH; Daniel Goldberg (Sandy) of Columbus, OH; Charles Goldberg of Morristown, NJ; and Dale Deloitt of Dayton, OH.
A former member of the West Temple, Susan had an indomitable spirit that she inherited from her mother. She infused everything she did with that spirit, including adopting as her motto for her disease, “I cough - therefore I am”. Mourners are asked to donate nonperishable goods to the Cleveland Food Bank or make a donation to the Painesville Area Habitat for Humanity, Lake Erie College or The Cleveland Food Bank.
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