KILMARNOCK—SueAnne Kates Bangel passed away on May 24, 2017, at the age of 86. She grew up in Newport News and graduated from Adelphi College and Toby Coburn Fashion Institute in New York City.
She married William Bangel in 1954.
SueAnne devoted her life to charitable causes. She was president of the National Council of Jewish Women, the Newport News Medical Society, the Peninsula Camp Fund and the Temple Sinai Sisterhood. She was founder and first president of the Peninsula Jewish Historical Society.
She moved to Williamsburg in 1979 and she became the first president of the Muscarelle Museum at the College of William & Mary. She served on the boards of the Peninsula Fine Arts, the Peninsula Youth Orchestra and Christopher Newport University.
She received many accolades for her charitable work, including Council Woman of the Year award in 1962, Young Leadership Award 1970 and the National Conference of Christian and Jews Humanitarian Award in 1980. In 2001, she was awarded Alumni status by the College of William & Mary. She was presented the Community Service Award by the Cobbs Hall Chapter NSDAR in 2012 and in 2014, she was awarded the Woman of Valor Award by the United Jewish Community of the Virginia Peninsula.
SueAnne and Bill retired to the Northern Neck area in 1990 and she continued her philanthropic endeavors. She cooked and served meals for the medical staff at the Northern Neck-Middlesex County Free Clinic Hospital. She organized an animal rescue program in White Stone. Her dogs were certified therapy dogs, visiting hospitals, retirement homes, schools and libraries in the Middle Peninsula.
She is survived by her daughter, Eve Bangel Ware and her husband, Michael, and their daughter Mauri; her daughter, Billie Bangel Eisner and her husband, Marc, and their son, Jacob; her twin sister, Joanne Roos; and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any donations be made in SueAnne’s memory to: the Peninsula Jewish Historical Society, 401 City Center Blvd, Newport News, VA 23606; or the Animal Welfare League, 75 North Main Street, Kilmarnock, VA 22482.
