Susan Jane Serne, age 64, of Lowell, went to be with the Lord on Monday, May 11, 2026.
Susan was born on February 17, 1962, in Grand Rapids, to Leon Vandawater and Doris Vandawater. A graduate of Davenport University, she enjoyed a long and dedicated career at Litehouse Foods. Susan played an active role within her community through her years of involvement with the Lowell Rotary Club and the Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce.
Above all, Susan loved her family immensely as a wife, mother, sister, and grandmother. She cherished fishing trips, long rides in her Ford Mustang Shelby GT-H with her husband, Dan, and family vacations. Her monthly outings with her sisters were a highlight she always looked forward to.
She is survived by her best friend, partner, and loving husband of 43 years, Dan; her children, Chris (Courtney) Serne and Kyle (Ashley) Serne; her grandchildren, Caitlyn (Lane) Homister, Andrew, Adam, and Gabby Serne; and her great-grandchildren, Alden and Alaina Homister. She also leaves behind her sisters, Carol (George) Talsma, Joanne (Bill) Wierenga, Janice (Ken) Staal, and Linda Vandawater; her brother, Todd (Laura) Vandawater; her sisters-in-law, Deb (Bob) Ghareeb, Denise (Kevin) Ryskamp, Diane Serne (George Manus), and Darla (Joe) McAlister; her mother-in-law, Jeanne Serne; and many nieces and nephews who loved her dearly.
Susan was preceded in death by her parents, Leon Vandawater and Doris Vandawater; her stepmother Lynette Vandawater; her brother, Paul Vandawater; her father-in-law, William Serne; and her brothers-in-law, Dale Serne and Kevin Ryskamp.
Services for Susan will be held at St. Robert of Newminster Parish on May 19, 2026. The family will greet friends and relatives beginning at 10:00 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m., with a luncheon at 12:00 p.m. The family asks that immediate family only attend the burial at Ada Cemetery following the luncheon.
A Celebration of Life will be held from 1-4PM on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Vergennes Township Hall, 69 Lincoln Lake Ave NE, Lowell, Michigan 49331.
In lieu of flowers, Susan’s family asks that guests consider making a donation to the Starfysh Organization (https://starfysh.org/donate/), supporting the children of Haiti.
8 Responses
I had the honor to work with Susan for 20 years. Over that 20 years there was lots of conversations and lots of laughs. She was a very strong person that had a lot of passion for many things. Anyone to know her knew how much she loved her family. She will be missed by many. I will always be thankful for the opportunity she gave me the day she offered me my position at Litehouse and everything she taught me.
We knew Susan from Rotary, plus had the pleasure of knowing the kids from working at school. She was such a very nice person and we had a lot of fun during our Rotary meetings and volunteering with her. She will greatly be missed.
I was honored to work with Susan for several years. Like so many others, she gave me an opportunity at Litehouse and initially helped guide me along my career path. As a leader, she was deeply engaged in every detail and dedicated to success, always leading with focus, compassion, and a genuine commitment to helping others grow. She will be remembered for her unwavering dedication, her kindness, and the lasting impact she had on everyone fortunate enough to work with her.
As the CEO of Litehouse Foods, I had the opportunity to work with Susan for nearly 20 years. Although I did not know her during the Chadalee Farms days, it was clear that she was an instrumental part of that leadership team. What I did come to realize is that Susan played a very important role in bringing the two organizations together – when at times there was a bit of friction. I appreciated her tenacity, spirit to drive for performance, and insistence that we win together. She was always have have her memory in such a key part of our company’s history. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dan, her family, friends, and former co-workers.
I was deeply saddened to hear of Susan’s passing. She was a remarkable leader, mentor, and friend who was a powerhouse in both her professional career and her tireless community efforts. It was a true privilege to witness her leadership, which was defined by intelligence, dedication, compassion, and a genuine desire to lift others up. She excelled at bringing people together, fighting for what was right, and leaving everyone fortunate enough to know her much stronger and better for it. While the void she leaves behind is immense, I feel incredibly grateful to have worked with her and learned from her. My heartfelt condolences go out to her husband Dan and the rest of her family and loved ones during this difficult time. Susan will be dearly missed.
I worked closely with Susan for 20 years. She and I had a lot of disagreements because of our different roles and sometimes different goals, but she managed to make even those disagreements positive and fun. She became a great sounding board, confidant, and ally in getting things done and keeping our teams engaged. In her first battle with cancer, Susan was amazingly tough. She was working through the treatments and we would be on calls while she was in her chemotherapy chair. She cared deeply about the people that depended on her, and she didn’t back down from that even in those dark days. I have missed her since she left, and I can only imagine the loss for her family and friends. I pray you will all have confidence that you will see her again.
Susan was such a great person, mentor and friend. We had so many serious, hilarious and joyful times together over all the years we worked together. At times we did not see eye to eye and that was ok with both of us. She helped me become the person I am today. I am so sorry for your loss but cherish all of those memories! I know I will.
I met Susan online but never had the chance to meet . We were both dx with ovarian cancer with similar stages .
Emails were great to just check in and see how she was doing. I miss her but she fought a great battle. We could be honest with each other. I will miss her so much