Susan Stockel Obituary

September 12, 1938 - June 30, 2025 Burdened by sadness but with boundless love in my heart, I write to let all our family and friends know that my remarkable, beautiful, and brilliant mother, Susan Rhoda Stockel (née Goldberg), passed away yesterday after a multi-year struggle with Alzheimer's Disease.
In accordance with her wishes, she remained at home and was lovingly cared for throughout her decline. My wife and I were with her to the end. Though we will miss her deeply, we are comforted knowing that her battle is over and she is now free of the pain, sadness, and fear that come with such a cruel illness.
Mom lived a remarkable life. Married at 20 and a mother by 24, she raised two sons and ran a thriving household marked by her acute sense of style. Never one to shy away from a challenge, she enrolled in law school when I was 10, later becoming President of California Women Lawyers and running an immigration project for the Los Angeles County Bar. She went on to turn her talents toward ensuring the financial strength of organizations dedicated to serving low-income communities, including the Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law and the Inner City Law Center.
All the while, her curiosity and love of adventure were unquenchable. She and my father traveled the world together, from Bhutan to Papua New Guinea, Tibet to Kenya, Machu Picchu to Angkor Wat. After my father died in 2003, mom kept up her travels, including taking me, my brother, my wife, and her niece and grandchildren as her companion on trips as varied as the Amazon, the Galapagos, Europe and a Disney cruise or two. In addition to travel, her life was filled with art, theater, movies, skiing, fine dining, and great wine. In her third act, she immersed herself in the world of theater, becoming an early investor in the Broadway smash hit Hadestown, and developing deep ties with The Broad Stage in Santa Monica and Theatre for a New Audience in Brooklyn.
To me, of course, she was above all my mother-kind, strategic, compassionate, and strong. In her final act, and with the express aim of keeping our family together, mom founded the Stockel Family Foundation, which she ran with her usual panache for its first seven years. Its growth and impact will be among her most enduring legacies.
Mom leaves my brother, Douglas, my wife, Ruth; two grandsons, Aaron and Daniel, and one granddaughter, Chloe, who love her deeply.
A memorial service will be held at Leo Baeck Temple (1300 N. Sepulveda Blvd.) on Thursday, July 3, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., followed by a reception at her home.
In lieu of flowers, we would ask that those so inclined make a donation to one of their favorite charities in her honor.