Suzanne (Gallo) Pennycook (1948–2026) left us on October 31, 2026, much sooner than she ever intended. If you knew her, you knew that nobody was going to tell her what to do or how to think. That certainly didn’t change, even at the very end of her life.

She wasn’t ready to go. She refused to accept her moderate-stage dementia, and she certainly hadn’t accepted stage 4 esophageal cancer. Her attitude was pretty much, “Nope. Not happening. I’m not dying, and we’re not going to talk about it.” And honestly, that was Suzanne — determined, stubborn, and very much in charge of her own life.

Sadly, those two terrible diseases had other plans. In just three short months, they took her from us far sooner than any of us could have imagined.

She leaves behind her husband of 50 years, Tom, and their beloved dog, Gus; her three children, Emily (Jeff) Hughes, Elizabeth, and Evan; and her grandchildren, Kate, Sarah, and Alice.

She is also survived by her two brothers, Pete Victor and Jerome; many cousins on both sides of the family (Rettke and Gallo); in-laws, nephews, nieces, and countless friends and acquaintances.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Viola (Rettke) and Pete Gallo; her sister, Mariann (Gallo) Fitts; and her dear friend, Kathy (Hajek) Schafer.

Suzanne was born and grew up in Maplewood, Missouri, where childhood seemed almost idyllic. She spent her days running around with her best friend Kathy and the neighborhood kids, playing in the creek, climbing through the trees and sometimes into one another’s houses, running to the five-and-dime, and just getting to be kids.

She was raised in a Catholic household and attended Maplewood Public Schools. Family was always an important part of her life. She came from a large, close-knit German and Italian family, with cousins on both sides who meant the world to her. Holidays and family gatherings were treasured traditions, and she was fortunate to spend so much of her childhood surrounded by the people she loved.

She was drawn to her high school theater program and had a natural love for dressing up, fashion, and all things beautiful. She even worked as a local fashion model. She had a wonderful sense of style and a beauty that went far beyond her appearance, shining through in who she was as a person.

She met Tom in 1974, and just two short years later, they were married in 1976. They moved to the Southampton area of South St. Louis City, where they made their home in a beautiful all-brick house for the next 23 years. She became friends with all of the older ladies who lived on the block. They were her village.

There wasn’t an inch of that house that didn’t have her personal touch. It was filled with treasured items from both sides of the family, each holding special meaning to her. Family history had always been important to her, and she loved surrounding herself with the memories and pieces that connected her to those she loved.

During those years, they welcomed three beautiful children. Being a mother meant everything to her.

When her kids went to school, she was involved in everything.

Class parties? She was there with homemade snacks. Class field trips? She drove the giant station wagon and loaded us all up. Homework projects? She was buying poster board at 9 p.m. the night before the project was due. Need a costume for a school play? Yours would be the best, most creative one in the entire class.

She was a co-leader of her daughter’s Girl Scout troop and even went camping…even though she HATED camping or anything outdoorsy.

She had a coffee klatch (coffee and gossip) with her three neighborhood friends every morning after dropping the kids off at school, where they would “hang one on.”

Sports? She never played them herself, but she rarely missed a soccer, softball, or baseball game her kids were involved in, cheering loudly from the sidelines whenever she could (weather and foster-baby age permitting).

Did we mention she was creative? She could sew and make just about anything you could possibly think of. She made costumes, diaper cakes for baby showers, and baskets for silent auctions. Nothing was ever allowed to go unadorned. Everything had to have a flourish, a little something extra.

She was a Pinterest mom before there were Pinterest moms. Was it a holiday? She had a necklace, a pin, a shirt, or a decoration for that. Theme day? You better believe she was going to be dressed up!

If you needed decorations for something, an invitation, or a poster, she was your girl. If you needed someone to bake a cake, cupcakes, or some other dessert, she was your girl.

Her attention to detail was unmatched. She was a noticer. She would notice if something was off with your hair, your clothes, a blanket on a bed, or even the silverware in a drawer. She noticed everything. There was no escaping her eye.

But just having three kids of her own was not enough for her. Her love of helping others, organizing, and expressing her artistic side inspired her to do even more for those around her. So, she began the process of becoming a foster parent, a role to which she would lovingly dedicate 35 years of her life.

During that time, she and Tom cared for an incredible 170 foster babies. She loved every second of it, even the endless late nights. She had it down to a science. No one cared for babies quite the way she did. She would get so excited when she got “the call” and had the opportunity to pick up a tiny baby from the hospital. Her dedication and passion did not go unnoticed. She received numerous awards (including the annual LFCS Faith in Action award) and appeared on a radio program in 2019 to share her experience and love of foster care. https://www.kfuo.org/2019/05/22/ch-052219-celebrating-foster-care-month/

In addition to fostering, she loved volunteering at the Lutheran Family Foster Closet. Every week, she would faithfully organize the donations, making sure everything was in its place so that no family would go without. If someone needed something, she knew exactly where to find it. And if they didn’t have what was needed, she would go out of her way to find it.

Helping others wasn’t just something she did; it was simply who she was.

She lived the last 26 years of her life in Des Peres, Missouri, on a quiet street with wonderful neighbors who all looked out for each other.

After her sister passed away, she joined a group of ladies called The Circle of Hope, who fashioned bracelets for sale to benefit the cancer community. She gladly did this for years, raising thousands of dollars for the cancer charity.

Eighteen years ago, she began her journey as a grandmother to three beautiful girls: Kate, Sarah, and Alice. She loved being a grandmother and spending time with them. She would take care of them, feed them, play with them, read to them, watch things with them, take them places, and simply enjoy visiting with them. She loved all of their crazy ways.

She loved watching her soap operas in the ’80s and ’90s, especially Another World and Days of Our Lives. Between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, you did not bother her. Those were her hours, and her shows were not to be interrupted. She also loved her talk shows, from Phil Donahue and Sally Jessy Raphael to Oprah and, eventually, The View.

She enjoyed baking, but she definitely did not enjoy cooking. Girl lunch and girl dinner were her favorite meals. Just a little assortment of odds and ends on a plate was all she needed. Honestly, she was ahead of her time.

She loved playing Bingo with her mother-in-law every week at the VFW hall. Over the years, she amassed quite the collection of bingo supplies and good-luck oddities. And winning the $500 coverall? That was a BIG deal!

She also loved spending time with her best friend of more than 70 years, Kathy Schafer, whenever she could. The two of them would sit around, shoot the bull, and travel back to simpler times when it was just the two of them. They would work on puzzles, drink coffee, and probably bitch about life. Having kids never stopped that tradition. She would simply package us up, take us out to Kathy’s, and tell us to go play outside (it was the ’80s, after all). We spent every holiday with Kathy because of how much she meant to Suzanne (not to mention Kathy was a fabulous cook). Their friendship was truly one of a kind.

There is a Suzanne-shaped hole in the world now, and everyone who knew and loved her will feel that loss. We would love to hear your memories of her. The stories, the funny moments, the little things you remember. They will bring us comfort as we learn to navigate life without her.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that you consider making a donation to The St. Louis Area Diaper Bank [https://stldiaperbank.org/] in her honor.

Call someone and tell them you love them. They need to hear it right now.