Susan Marie Wilkins, age 76, passed away peacefully on October 14th, 2025, in Jackson, Michigan. She was born on May 28, 1949, in Toledo, Ohio, to her parents, the late Ralph Sr. and Marie Hancock (Brueshaber). Her brother, Ralph Jr., also preceded her in death.
She is survived by her partner and main squeeze, Larry Jendrzejewski and his son, Casmir Jendrzejewski, who completed many home improvements for them including the hand railings that Sue relied on; beloved daughters, Marisa Wilkins, who fondly remembers her mother reading “The Secret Garden” to her as a child; and Beth (Bill-her favorite son-in-law) Combs, who made Sue a grandparent with her grand-pugs Penny and Lucas; sister Debbie Seeber, whom she adored and called multiple times daily; as well as all her nieces and nephews to whom she was as devoted to as if they were her own children.
Susan began her career as a Licensed Practical Nurse at Wood County Hospital in Bowling Green, Ohio. In April of 1981, she and her former husband, William Wilkins (deceased), opened one of the first video rental stores in Northwest Ohio. The Video Spectrum amassed a collection of films that was unrivaled in the area. In the mid 2000’s, they also opened “Smoovies”, a movie themed smoothie shop. Those family-owned businesses fueled by Sue’s big smile, outgoing personality, and her ability to remember almost every customer’s name, allowed them both to retire after over 30 successful years of business in July of 2011.
Sue’s absolute favorite past time was spending time with her family. When she wasn’t going out with her mom, daughters, nieces and nephews somewhere to have fun, eat or shop, she was hosting everyone at her house on Lake Leann in Jerome, Michigan. While Larry J. took everyone on boat rides, she would be preparing multiple meals made from the recipes she loved to read and collect. Desserts using Cool Whip, her “city chicken”, pizza casserole and 7-layer salad were favorites. Every meal, according to Sue, was “the best I ever ate” and she openly solicited compliments on her cooking from family and friends.
Sue’s daughters wanted to share and reminisce about the many activities Sue enjoyed, humorous traits, and habits that many people learned about from knowing her. She loved trying new make-up and beauty products as well as discovering apparel and accessories that would complement her blue jeans. (Doesn’t everything go with jeans?) She enjoyed watching romance movies or thrillers with a twist and falling asleep to episodes of “Everybody Loves Raymond”. When Sue found a song she liked, she would listen to it over and over…and over and over again. She was always telling her daughters when their makeup looked good. She had an amazing ability to locate every soft serve ice cream shop within a 100-mile radius of her travels, and she was on the endless quest for a perfect farm-fresh tomato and a good melon. There was a time in her life when she was on a diet and using rice cakes instead of bread for sandwiches…. then declaring out loud “I love rice cakes…they’re just as good as bread! In fact, they’re BETTER than bread!”….to which Beth referred to as the “Rice Cake Pep Talk”. While driving, she was well known to dig in her HUGE purse for her lip gloss or cell phone and not watching the road. Sue’s favorite story to tell was when she and her friend Sheryl Dickinson impulsively plunked down $400 to take a ride on the Concorde at an air show in Wisconsin.
Honoring her wishes, cremation has taken place and no services are planned at this time.
Condolences/Memorials can be sent to:
Beth & Bill Combs and Marisa Wilkins
1719 Wicklow St.
Bowling Green, Ohio 43402
Larry Jendrzejewski
11621 N. Lake Side Dr
Jerome MI 49249
