In memoriam: Marie Mehfound Suyes, class of 1961
Rose Marie “Sitti” Mehfoud Suyes, a member of the MCV School of Pharmacy class of 1961, died in January at age 78.
She was part of an extensive university legacy family, including her husband, David R. “Jerry” Suyes Jr. (D.D.S. ’63); daughter Jere Kitchen (B.S. nursing ’87); son-in-law Cary Kitchen (B.S. business ’86); daughter Jana Vath (B.S. nursing ’92); her late father, Anthony P. Mehfoud (B.S. pharmacy ’39); and many cousins.
Marie Suyes and her husband had been married for 57 years. “She was a wonderful individual with a kind and loving heart as well as a bright outlook on life,” he said. “I was blessed to have journeyed 64 years with her as my sweetheart and wife from the 10th grade of high school till January 13, 2017.”
A resident of Deltaville, Va., she continued to practice pharmacy part-time while raising the couple’s six children: five daughters, Jere, Julie, Susan, Sara and Jana, and one son, David (known as Ricky), who preceded her in death.
In addition to serving as matriarch and role model, Suyes was an active member of Church of the Visitation in Topping, Va., and a number of professional boards and clubs, including Dulora Woman’s Club, Middlesex County Rotary Club, Book Club of Deltaville, Rivers Club, Garden Club and the Knight Riders. She was a founding member of the Middlesex YMCA.
A big fan of canasta, she also enjoyed taking cruises and touring the world with her husband. “She loved traveling, especially cruising,” he said, “which we were doing in the islands when she passed in her sleep.”
Her zest for life, he said, was contagious.
As her friends shared via online tribute pages, “She was a magnificent lady and will be sorely missed. … Mrs. Suyes will be missed by all whose lives she touched.”
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