Suzanne Clement

Suzanne Clement, 77, of West Des Moines Iowa passed away on September 29, 2024, with family by her side.

Suzanne was the first child of Herb and Helen Folkmann, born on January 17, 1947 in Inglewood, California. When Suzanne was still a young child the family moved to Keystone, Iowa, where Suzanne lived until two years after her high school graduation when she moved back to Southern California.  She lived there for 50 years, moving to West Des Moines, Iowa, in 2017.

Suzanne married Tim Clement in 1988, and together they had a son, Nicholas.  Those who knew Suzanne well knew that being a mother was her favorite thing in life.  She was also 'mother' to her dog Milo, who definitely enjoyed special status. Family meant everything to Suzanne – every aunt, uncle, cousin, niece, nephew was dearly loved.  She considered all friends to be family and made everyone feel special by creating traditions and memories.

Suzanne was a true California girl. She loved the ocean, especially sailing on it.  She was the first to explore and camp at Bass Lake in the early 1970's, a beautiful spot in the California Sierras that turned into an annual gathering place for friends and family for over 50 years.  Suzanne was a masterful cook and there was always room at her table for everyone.  It was a special place filled with love and her contagious laughter.

Suzanne worked primarily in commercial property management while living in California.  In her job as a property manager in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica she rubbed elbows with many celebrities, one being Lawrence Welk. He told her she was 'Disneyesque' which was a perfectly accurate description of this beautiful woman.  She brought life to every room she was in, and made everyone she met feel immediately loved.  We will miss her absolute love for her family and friends, her kindness, and her sense of fun.

Suzanne was preceded in death by her husband and her parents.  She is survived by her son, Nicholas (Los Angeles, California), brothers Edward Folkmann (Long Beach, California), Bill  Folkmann (Truckee, California) and Donn (June) Folkmann (Van Horne, Iowa), sister Mary (Mike) Origer (West Des Moines, Iowa) and brothers-in-law Tom and Richard Clement (Louisiana).  Also, many cousins, nieces and nephews.

A special thank you to St Croix Hospice for their attention to and care of Suzanne in the last few months.  The family truly appreciates all the support they provided.

A celebration of her life will be held at a later date. Memorials can be made to ALS Association or Los Angeles Mission.