Please pray for Delegate Sally Susman of Raleigh County who lost her husband Alan Susman on Thursday.
Obituary:
Alan Land Susman, age 79, of Beckley, passed away on October 8, 2009, after a prolonged illness. He was born April 8, 1930, in High Point, N.C., son of Ann Land Susman and Benjamin L. Susman. He was raised in High Point, N.C., and Bluefield, W.Va., and has one brother, Dr. B.L. (Sonny) Susman of Tazewell, Va. He married Sally Matz, and they have three children and six grandchildren.
A graduate of Bluefield High School and the University of North Carolina with a Bachelor of Science degree, he was an Eagle Scout and played football at Bluefield High School.
Susman became interested in governmental service at a young age and had the honor of being Mayor of Bluefield for a day as a high school student. He was a member of the West Virginia State Senate for three terms and was a member of the West Virginia Turnpike Commission for nearly 30 years. As a former businessman and farmer, he operated several businesses, including City Finance Company, Tally Ho Farms, and the Bank of Mount Hope. He served in the United States Navy during the Korean War.
Susman, an avid horseman, was involved in many community and civic activities, including serving as chair of the Beckley-Raleigh County YMCA, vice-chair of the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce, board member of the Beckley-Raleigh County United Way, chair of the Raleigh County Democratic Executive Committee, and member of the West Virginia State Democratic Executive Committee.
He is survived by his wife, Sally Matz Susman; their daughter, Robin Susman Wartella and her husband Bradley Wartella of Beckley; son Benjamin Matz Susman and his wife Dixie Susman of Beckley and Thomas Land Susman and his wife Carol Susman of Charleston; as well as six grandchildren: Alisa Rae Wartella, Leigh Matz Wartella, Jennifer Rose Susman, Courtney Lynn Susman, Austin David Susman, and Michael Alan Susman. He is also survived by his brother, Dr. B.L. (Sonny) Susman and his wife Shirley of Tazewell, VA.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Ann Land Susman, and father, Benjamin L. Susman, and his in-laws, Nathan and Rose Matz.
Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 11 in the Melton Mortuary Chapel with the Rabbi James Kohn of the Temple Israel, Charleston, W.Va. officiating.Friends may call Sunday from 1 p.m. until the service time. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to be made to the West Virginia University Foundation for the Alan Susman Endowment for Parkinson Plus Research (Fund 3R113), WVU Health Sciences Development Office, P.O. Box 9008, Morgantown, WV 26506.
