A Century of Life - Bill Suter
Rarely do we have the chance to celebrate the accomplishments of our brothers well into a century of their lives. Today, we share the obituary of William Henry "Bill" Suter (Beta Delta/Rutgers 1943), who remained a strong supporter of the Fraternity well into the final years of his life, aged 103. As a member, Brother Suter belonged to the Foundation Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity's Board of Visitors Lifetime Giving Level, was a member of the Resolute Circle Annual Giving Club, and established a planned gift with the Foundation Chapter more than 30 years ago. Bill entered the Chapter Eternal on November 2, 2025.
We share the following obituary of Brother Suter, provided to the Fraternity by his family:
What a great life he lived! William Henry “Bill” Suter was born May 18, 1922, in New York, and was raised in West Caldwell, NJ. He passed away on November 2, 2025, aged 103. He was a proud Swiss national by virtue of his birth: his father was Henry Hans Suter, a Swiss soccer star with the Swiss Grasshoppers and, later, AC Milan in the late 1800s/very early 1900s. Bill graduated from Rutgers University in 1943, holding for many decades the distinction of having the highest score on the Rutgers entry exam. Bill loved college life, where he was a bantam-weight boxer as well as coxswain of the crew team. He was always a strong supporter of Theta Chi Fraternity, which he credited for much of his success in life. After college, Bill was a proud WWII Navy Tin Can Sailor, and in his 100th year, was invited by several organizations to speak about his WWII experiences.
Bill had been a South Pasadena resident since 1966. He had a strong desire to give back to the community, volunteering for many years at the South Pasadena Library as well as the city’s Senior Center, and delivering Meals on Wheels until the 2020 pandemic, at which time he was in his late 90s. In recognition of his civic efforts, Bill was named the Grand Marshal of the South Pasadena July 4th parade in 2023, when he was 101, an honor which thrilled him. Additionally, he donated generously to innumerable charities.
In the early 1950s, Bill met and married his first wife, Carolyn, and enthusiastically became stepfather to her two children from a prior marriage (Nancy and Bill), and a couple of years later became a father again to his and Carolyn’s twins, Martha and Marsha. He became uber successful and well-known in the insurance business, having his own firm (Suter Claims Service, at one time the largest independent insurance adjusting firm in Los Angeles County), and becoming president of the Southern California Adjusters Association and the National Society of CPCU (Los Angeles Chapter), along with holding positions and membership in many other industry associations. He was also president of the Wilshire/Westlake Lions Club, a member of the Toastmasters Club, and a panel arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association. A natural-born raconteur, Bill was welcomed and well-liked wherever he went.
After Carolyn passed away in 1975, Bill found love again and married Ruby Taylor. After retiring at age 75, Bill and Ruby grabbed life with both hands, joining local square dance clubs and travelling to most of the countries of the world. After Ruby passed, he was grateful in his late 80s to meet, fall in love with and marry his soulmate, Shirley; and they played bridge, ballroom danced, and traveled together until Shirley’s passing in 2020. In 2023, at the age of 101, he took three cruises with his daughter Martha: one along the California coast, one down the Danube River, and the third down the coast from Los Angeles to Valparaiso, Chile.
Bill is survived by his beloved daughters Nancy Clark, Martha Jackson, and Marsha Tylke, as well as by Shirley’s children, whom he loved as his own: Karen Coxwell, Richard Betz, Kristin Betz Dornin, and Kathleen Riley. He leaves behind many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great great-grandchildren (as well as nieces and nephews, many of whom affectionally called him “Tio Chistoso” due to his playful teasing). Although slight of stature and physically very slender (never weighing over five pounds more than when in college), he was a larger-than-life character who was at home in any setting with any group of people. His true legacy is one of kindness and generosity. His passing leaves a hole in so many lives.
Per Bill’s wishes, there will be no funeral service. If you want to, please raise a toast to him – he was particularly fond of mimosas and margaritas (the ones he made were legendary in the family).