Suzanne Michelle Gittins, age 83 of Falls Church, VA passed away peacefully in her home January 12, 2024. Suzanne grew up in Ithaca, NY where her parents owned a corner grocery store and where she developed her interests in food, numbers, and the arts. When she was 19 years old, she met the love of her life, Thomas W. Gittins, and together set out to live their life of adventure.

Suzanne had a passion for the arts which began early on in life, specifically drawing and painting. She could be found in her artist space painting in oil, watercolor, and drawing in pen and ink. Suzanne’s interest in the arts began in grade school when she and her mother would walk through downtown and pass the only art supply store in the area. Suzanne would go in and explore the array of brushes and colors and blank canvases, awaiting her yet undiscovered imaginative abilities. Over the years painting had brought her a mix of joy and frustration. After painting sporadically over the years, she decided to branch out and was able to catch a place in line for watercolor lessons at the Falls Church Recreation Center (hiring a local boy to stand in line to put her name on the waiting list while she was out of town). Her favorite subjects were always animals which expanded as a result from her travels, and then there were those other animals – people – in addition to painting people she was very fond of painting flowers which calmed and delighted her as well as those who were lucky enough to see her work.

Moving to Falls Church in the ‘70s, Suzanne worked for various businesses as a bookkeeper while raising her two children, preparing flavorful home cooked meals, and hosting countless visitors and events at their home for guests from around the world.

Suzanne was a fiery, protective, passionate, and creative woman. She had a twinkle of mischievousness and laughter in her eyes as if she knew something no one else was privy to. She loved her children Tom and Dianne as fiercely as she loved her grandchildren Grant and Kyle. That passion for her family extended outward to family and friends. Always giving, always strong, always aware of the knowledge that she was loved and that those around her knew they were cherished. Whether welcoming and hosting a group from overseas or family and friends for a night of caroling, Suzanne always made sure that all who came to her home were taken care of and felt welcome.

Our family celebrated her life the way she lived her own, no fanfare or unnecessary attention and surrounded by the ones she loved. In lieu of flowers or donations to causes that were important to our mom, she would rather you take a dance lesson, an art class, travel the world or simply share a milkshake with someone you cherish.

Suzanne was predeceased by her husband Thomas W. Gittins, her sister Emma Lou Hughey and niece Jeanine Baker. She is survived by her son Thomas M. Gittins (Gina), daughter Dianne M. Gittins, grandson Grant Gittins (Kelsey), Kyle Gittins and adopted son Alexander Gorev (Chrissy). In addition, she was survived by her loving nieces and nephews Dave Rietz, Jay Rietz (Connie) and Stefanie Hutchison (Larry), Laurie Smith (Shayne), and Jennifer Huffman (Bob).