Susan Mary Gramling

Susan Mary Gramling (nee Siewert) passed away peacefully in her sleep on June 1, 2022, after a hard-fought battle with leukemia. Born and raised among the steeples of Milwaukee’s south side, Susan raised her family in Milwaukee’s Sherman Park neighborhood and later settled into a loving home in Washington Heights. Throughout her life she was an active community member and volunteer, striving to make Milwaukee a better place for all.

Susan’s beautiful spirit lives on through her children Laura Gramling Perez, Maggie Gramling Kiefer, and Ben Gramling, son in law Edgar Perez, daughter in law Nicole Robben, and seven grandchildren: Anna and Lidia Perez, Calvin, Mollie, and Cassidy Kiefer, and Ellis and Rya Gramling. She was preceded in death by her parents Hans and Anna Siewert (nee Mangan) and brother Don Siewert (Meg), and is survived by her siblings Larry and Nancy Siewert, Teresa and Fran Pierce, and Mary Pat Siewert, and many nieces and nephews and extended members of the Siewert and Gramling clans.

Susan dedicated her professional life to the well-being of children and their families. She received undergraduate and graduate degrees in speech pathology from Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. After working for many years as a speech therapist for various schools and human services agencies, and later as the Executive Director of what was then known as the Milwaukee Hearing Society, Susan made a mid-life career change and graduated at age 50 from the University of Wisconsin Law School. That led to work in solo practice as an attorney and guardian ad litem in family, school law, and civil cases, and as a consultant on juvenile justice and education matters.

Susan’s grace, beauty and compassion were apparent to all that met her, and so many were the beneficiaries of the bright light that she cast about the world.

Visitation on Sunday, June 5 from 2:00-4:00pm at Becker Ritter Funeral Home, 14075 West North Avenue, Brookfield, WI. A funeral mass will be held Monday, June 6 at 2:00pm, preceded by a 1:00 visitation, at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 1927 N. Vel R. Phillips Avenue, Milwaukee, WI.

In lieu of flowers, her children request memorials be made to Pathfinders Milwaukee, a youth empowerment organization, and consideration given to becoming an active blood donor.

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