Suzanne Prater, 80, of Smithville, Tennessee, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 29, 2026 surrounded by love and close family.
Born on December 27, 1945, in White County, Tennessee, Suzanne was the daughter of Ed and Jonnie Prater of Bon Air, Tennessee. When she was five years old, her family moved to the Detroit area of Michigan, where Suzanne would spend most of her life. She graduated from Grosse Pointe South High School in 1964 and went on to build a long and varied career in office administration, becoming a trusted colleague and friend to many along the way. To most of her family, many friends, and especially to her nieces and nephews, she was affectionately known simply as “Honey.”
Suzanne spent many years working at Huck Manufacturing, where she was among those adapting to the remarkable new world of computer technology, performing data entry at a time when computers were still a brand-new technology in the workplace. Later, she helped establish the company’s expanded offices when she moved to California for six months.
Suzanne later joined Barden Companies, where she became an invaluable part of the organization in countless ways. Over the years, she worked as an executive assistant, handled accounting and payroll, and became the welcoming face of the office for a remarkable cast of visitors. Through her work with Mr. Barden, Suzanne had the opportunity to meet and greet an extraordinary collection of entertainers, athletes, and dignitaries, including Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Martha Reeves, Aretha Franklin, Kim Fields, Isaiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, and many other Detroit Pistons during their championship years. She delighted in telling stories about these memorable encounters, and her family never tired of hearing them.
Her work also provided Suzanne with another gift she loved to share: the opportunity to experience the incredible cultural offerings of Detroit’s Fox Theatre with her family and friends. Over the years, they enjoyed many Broadway productions ranging from Fiddler on the Roof with Topol to Rent and The Phantom of the Opera, as well as comedians, magicians, ballets, and countless unforgettable concerts. Diana Ross, The Four Tops, Elton John, Kenny Rogers, the B-52s, and many others became part of the rich collection of memories she generously shared with the people she loved.
Suzanne was a woman of deep faith and a devoted member of her church communities. While living in Michigan, she attended Peace Lutheran Church for more than 30 years, where she served in many capacities and formed lasting friendships. She especially valued the fellowship, hospitality, and sense of community she found there. After moving to Tennessee, she became an active member of First United Methodist Church in Smithville, serving on the Worship Team and volunteering for many years at God’s Food Pantry. Her faith was expressed not only in her service, but in the kindness, generosity, and quiet care she extended to those around her.
In 2000, Suzanne returned to Tennessee, moving to Smithville with her mother, sister Dawn, and brother-in-law George to be closer to their Tennessee family. She quickly became an important part of the Smithville community. She especially loved her years working at Playground Kids on the square with her cousin Amanda, where she enjoyed getting to know young families in town and welcoming all the children who came through the store. Although Suzanne jokingly insisted that she wasn’t good with children and “didn’t like kids,” the truth was quite different: children seemed to recognize immediately the warm heart behind her teasing, and she was almost always a favorite with every child who crossed her path. She later enjoyed her time working at Webb’s Pharmacy with cousins Alan and Annette, where she again formed friendships and became part of the fabric of the community she loved.
Suzanne loved to travel, and she and her family truly “kept the roads hot” for decades. While living in Michigan, there were countless trips back and forth between Detroit and Tennessee, along with adventures to Alabama and West Virginia that produced the kind of stories that became family lore. She enjoyed long weekends in Las Vegas with friends and family and, after moving to Tennessee, continued to travel whenever she could. Each July brought a cherished trip “Up North” to spend time on Lake Charlevoix with family. She loved trips to Florida for sunshine, and for more than a decade she looked forward to nearly every August in Hilton Head with her niece Susannah’s family. She traveled to Colorado to visit her nephew James’s family, as well as to New York, California, and many other destinations. For Suzanne, travel was never simply about seeing a new place—it was about being with the people she loved and collecting another story to tell.
At home, Suzanne was happiest with simple pleasures and creative pursuits. She was an accomplished seamstress and crocheter, making beautiful baby and children’s clothes for family members, creating baptism gowns that became treasured family heirlooms, and crocheting countless cozy throws that continue to wrap her loved ones in reminders of her care. She was an avid reader and a devoted lover of movies and television, and she greatly enjoyed playing cards with family and friends.
Suzanne was selfless, caring, generous, and an exceptional listener. She had a remarkable ability to make people feel heard and cared for, often giving her time and attention without asking for anything in return. She also possessed a wonderfully wry and sarcastic sense of humor and loved to tease the people closest to her. Her quick wit and perfectly timed observations could leave everyone laughing. Those who knew her best will remember that combination of a tender heart and a mischievous sense of humor as one of the things that made Suzanne so uniquely herself. To the nieces and nephews who knew her as Honey, she was a constant source of love, laughter, stories, and unconditional support.
Suzanne was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Ed and Jonnie Prater, and dear brother-in-law George Sperry.
She is survived by her beloved sister, Dawn Sperry; her dear “sister wannabes,” Teri Spytman and Becky Roberts; her nephew, James (Allison) Stratas; her niece, Susannah (Sean) Sperry; and her many cherished great-nieces and great-nephews, including Lindsay (Ben) Williams, Alyssa (Marcos) Jordan, Callie (Davis) LaBelle, Collin Spytman, Isabella Stratas, Ethan Stratas, Emma Stratas, Charlie Keating, Finn Keating, Piper Williams, and Wesley Williams. She is also survived by her beloved step-nieces and nephews, Elayne (“Nonny”) Sperry, Martin (Maureen) Sperry, and George (Donna) Sperry, and their many sweet children, with whom Suzanne especially enjoyed spending time during their frequent visits to Tennessee to spend time with their grandparents, Dawn and George. She treasured those visits and the opportunity to watch the younger generations grow.
She is also survived by her beloved Smithville family, including the Webbs, the Greeks, and the Blairs, with whom she made decades of cherished memories, as well as many extended family members and dear friends whose lives were enriched by knowing her.
Suzanne will be remembered as a devoted sister and aunt, a loyal friend, a woman of faith, a gifted seamstress and crocheter, a generous caregiver, an enthusiastic traveler, and for her wonderfully dry sense of humor. She gave freely of her time, her talents, her laughter, and her love. The beautiful things she made will be treasured, the adventures she shared will be remembered, and the stories she told will continue to be passed down. To those who knew her as Honey, that name will forever carry with it the warmth, humor, generosity, and love that made Suzanne so very special.
A memorial service will be held at DeKalb Funeral Chapel on Monday, August 31, 2026 at 5pm, with visitation prior to the service from 4-5pm. All are welcome.
DeKalb Funeral Chapel is honored to care for the Prater family.
