Obituary of Suzanne Brotman

Suzanne Brotman died on January 16, 2021. She was the wife of Hon. Stanley S. Brotman, who died in 2014, and is survived by her son Richard and her daughter Alison. She was an extraordinary wonderful person and deeply loved. Suzanne was born on October 29, 1930, at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia to Louis and Ethel Simon. Growing up, she was a good student, artistic and musical, and also helped her parents in their store, "Simon's Nice Things,' in Little Silver, New Jersey. She was their only child and greatly beloved, as she loved them. She was the first in her family to go to college and attended Radcliffe College, part of Harvard University. Suzanne graduated with Honors and Phi Beta Kappa. During her freshman year, Suzanne met and became engaged to Stanley, who was at Harvard Law School. She graduated in three years so they would both graduate in the same year. They were married on September 9, 1951. Suzanne and Stanley were complete soul-mates and partners throughout their lives; they were two halves of one whole. They supported each other in everything they did, personally and professionally. Upon graduation from Harvard Law School, Stanley was called back to military service in the Korean War at the Office of Strategic Services ("OSS," now the CIA), so the newlyweds moved to Washington, D.C. Upon completion of Stanley's service, they moved to Stanley's hometown of Vineland, New Jersey. He founded his law firm with his own preceptor, Samuel L. Shapiro, and practiced there until he was appointed a US District Court Judge for the District of New Jersey in 1975 by President Gerald Ford. Suzanne was active in the community and the synagogue. She was the first woman to be elected to the Vineland School Board, upon which event the Board changed its usual meeting place (a local Bar) to a more appropriate meeting room. Suzanne later obtained a Masters of Library Science from Drexel University, graduating with a 4.0 grade average. Her children were thrilled and proud to attend her graduation; unfortunately Stanley was presiding over a case. Suzanne worked as a Librarian in New Jersey at the Vineland Library, the Cumberland County Community College, Glassboro College (now Rowan University), and Stockton University. She later became a licensed Real Estate agent working with Pearce-Jannarone Real Estate, Inc., in Vineland. She served on the Board of the American Automobile Association for Southern New Jersey for 15 years before she retired in 2014. Suzanne was buried on Sunday, January 17, 2021 at 2pm at Alliance Cemetery, next to Stanley, and generations of Brotman family members. There was a short online service with immediate family members only. Contributions may be made to the following organizations, which were very important to Suzanne and the Brotman Family: The Barn Studio of Art, 814 Whitaker Avenue, Millville, NJ 08332 or the Chevra Kadisha/Alliance Cemetery. P.O. Box 934, Vineland, NJ 08362