Susan Cell
March 8, 1939 ~ May 4, 2015
Susan 'Suki' Cell, widow of Dr. Donald Cell of Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, passed away peacefully in the Unity Point Hospital Hospice Center. Suki worked as the Vice President of Government Relations for the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce for 20 years, ending in 2005. She was 76 years old.
Suki was born in New London, Connecticut on March 8, 1939, to Samuel and Hattie Harris. She graduated from the Williams Memorial Institute in New London in 1956, and from Goucher College in 1960. She married Don Cell in New York City in 1961.
Before her work with the Chamber, Suki worked for various causes, including the Democratic Party, the Iowa Civil Liberties Union, the United Nations Association, and she served on the State Board of the League of Women Voters. The Suki Cell Scholarship Fund helps local young women go to college.
She is survived by her daughter, Jennifer Cook; son, Benjamin Cell; and her brother, Jon Harris. She has three grandchildren, Leah Cell Chang, Emilia Nadiva, and Alceu Nadav.
She was a long-time and active member of Temple Judah, in Cedar Rapids. Services will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 6, 2015, at Temple Judah at 3221 Lindsay Lane SE, Cedar Rapids. Arrangements are with Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Mt. Vernon.
View current weather.
Memories Timeline
Guestbook
Sign the Guestbook, Light a Candle
So humbled to have worked with this woman of grace, passion and compassion at the Cedar Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce. I worked with her as she bravely fought her cancer and will always remember her contagious smile and sparkling eyes in spite of what she was enduring! God’s blessings on her family as you celebrate and remember Suki.
Suki was a beautiful Lady. She cared about all she knew, and even those she did not know personally. She was an amazing woman and will be missed by all who knew her.
Suki was a genuinely delightful woman, always ready to help or share a laugh. And, smart! Oh, was she smart, and capable as well. A big loss for the community in addition to the hole she leaves in her family. My sympathy to all those who grieve her loss.
Suki was a dear person who was admired by many. I loved working with her for so many years through Chamber committees and the Board. Suki was very measured in her wisdom about what was realistic in lobbying the legislature. The metropolitan area benefitted from her great connections in Des Moines and her persuasive skills. When she moved to Cottage Grove Place she had an instant group of friends who loved to hear her take on political events. Everyone loved her smile, her optimism and her keen intellect. I send my deep sympathy to her treasured family.
Suki is one of the people who made Mt. Vernon a wonderful community which I was proud to call my home. She mattered, she was active, she made a positive difference. My remembrance to all the Cell family.
Suki and I were co-Iowa Field Coordinators for the National Breast Cancer Coalition. As a novice in the political sphere, Suki taught me how to be an effective citizen lobbyist. I continue to this day to use the skills I learned from her to work for the National Breast Cancer Coalition’s (NBCC) Breast Cancer Deadline 2020 so we can know how to end breast cancer by January 1, 2020. I learned of Suki’s death while attending an NBCC Board meeting in Washington DC. After sharing this sad news with NBCC, I was told the National Breast Cancer Coalition will honor Suki and her advocacy work in a “Moment of Silence” during one of their national meetings.
Christine Carpenter, Cedar Falls IA
christine.carpenter@cfu.net