Jennifer Colette Sussman

Jennifer Colette Sussman, beloved mother, devoted friend, and tireless creator, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Monday, June 22, 2026. She was 80 years old.

Born Jennifer Colette Mello on January 13, 1946, in Sacramento, California, to Clinton and Christine (Billie) Mello, Jennifer carried warmth and determination with her throughout her life. After high school, she married Richard L. Sussman of West Springfield, Massachusetts, and together they made their home in Sparks, Nevada, where she raised her two children, Clinton Vance and Jennifer Joyce.

Jennifer dedicated much of her professional life to Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, where she built a career as rich and varied as the woman herself, ultimately retiring from the institution she had given so much to.

What Jennifer loved, she loved completely. She was a gifted seamstress, a devoted crocheter of blankets made with family and friends in mind, and in her later years, an extraordinary quilter — capable of losing herself happily in a single quilt for hours on end. If she decided she was going to learn something, there was no stopping her. She would pursue it with everything she had until she had mastered it, and then she would make it beautiful.

Jennifer’s love of dogs was a constant thread woven through her life. She raised West Highland White Terriers and Scottish Terriers with the same devotion and care she gave everything she loved. In her final chapter, she was kept company by Tasha, a sweet Maltipoo who was by her side until the end.

She is survived by her son, Clinton Vance Sussman, and her daughter, Jennifer Joyce Sussman, who will carry her spirit — and no small amount of her stubbornness — forward. She also leaves behind her Maltipoo, Tasha, who will miss her terribly.