Obituary

Susan (Sue) LaForge

Obituary

Susan (Sue) LaForge, 70, died at her home in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday (Feb. 7, 2012).   

She was born on May 15, 1941, in Newton to John F. and Margaret (Fugate) King. She graduated from Newton High School in 1959, and attended Kansas State Teachers College at Emporia and Wichita State University, where she was news editor for the WSU Sunflower and earned a bachelor’s degree with a double major in journalism and psychology. On April 27, 1967, she married John C. LaForge at Grace Memorial Chapel on the WSU campus.

In August 1967, Sue joined the staff of the Los Gatos (California) Times Observer, where she held the position of managing editor for 10 and one-half years.  In 1980, she was named executive manager of the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce; and from 1993 to 2006, she was senior project director, San Jose Region, of the National Council on Aging.

Sue was an active, respected and dedicated member of her community and area throughout the years. She was a member of Soroptimist International and served on numerous boards, including the Ming Quong Board of Directors, Eastfield-Ming Quong Board of Directors, Live Oak Adult Day Care Center Board of Directors, Silicon Valley Workforce Investment Board and South Bay N.O.V.A. Board of Advisors. She served as chair of the S.W. Y.M.C.A. camp committee and Board of Managers, was founder and chair of Los Gatos Youth Park and founder of the Los Gatos Children’s Christmas Parade Foundation.

She was honored by the seven Silicon Valley branches of the Y.M.C.A. in 1979, was named Los Gatos Youth Park Citizen of the Year in 1983 and chosen as Grand Marshall of the Los Gatos Children’s Christmas Parade in 1993.

She is survived by her husband, Johnny, and son, D’Arcy, of San Jose; sister, Jackie Arnold, of Destin, Fla.; extended family; and many friends.

A victim of Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease since birth, Sue endured multiple surgeries, atrophy and loss of balance with determination and grace. Her indomitable will allowed her to achieve her goals. If you wish, please send a donation in her name to the Muscular Dystrophy Association for CMT research.

A celebration of Sue’s life will be on March 24 in Los Gatos, Calif. All who knew her are invited to attend. Please contact Jan Morris-Phillips for details at jmorris@PeakTravel.com or (408) 888-6015.

“The spirit of her time on Earth will remain in the souls of those she touched in her life” (Jim LaForge, brother-in-law).