In Memorium
We remember…
Suzanne M. Lang
December 6, 1955-June 22, 2026
It is with profound sadness that we share the unexpected passing of Suzanne Lang on June 22 at her home in Kern County, CA. Suzanne was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to William and Diana Lang. She is survived by her brother Bill Lang (wife Stacey) of Cleveland and her sister Michelle Lang of Raleigh, NC; niece Marion Lang (wife Elise Richards) of San Francisco & nephew Jackson Lang (and his daughter Kansas) of Cleveland.
After graduating from Bluffton College in Ohio, Suzy traveled west to Colorado where she was an active part of the Catholic Worker community for almost 10 years, providing hospitality to the unhoused and protesting nuclear weapons at the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant. She also enjoyed writing and performing with the local Peace Theater. Suzanne’s wanderlust took her further west to the California coast where she lived for the next 40 years of her life, primarily in West Marin and Sonoma Counties. She got her MA in Creative Arts at SFSU in the mid-90s and was both a playwright and performer. Suzanne’s decades-long career in forestry began with the US Forest Service in Colorado. She joined CalFire after her move to California, working to control Dutch Elm Disease and other forest pests. She was a certified arborist and operated her own tree service for a time. She shifted her focus to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and managed the CalFire regional GIS program at the time of her retirement in 2021. Her career gave her much satisfaction. In her own words, she reveled in bringing together people, gathering information, and creating products that communicate facts and ideas: through sound, through pictures, through cartographics.
After her retirement, Suzanne enjoyed continuing to produce her radio show (and podcast), A Novel Idea (KRBC-Northern CA Public Radio) where, for more than two decades, she brought thoughtful conversations with acclaimed authors to listeners throughout the Northern CA community and beyond. She was an exceptional interviewer - curious, insightful, and deeply respectful of every story she shared. Her professionalism, warmth, and intellect earned the admiration of countless authors, colleagues, and listeners alike.
Suzanne volunteered as a docent at the Point Reyes National Seashore and served on the Board of the Tomales Regional History Center. For over twenty years, she produced the Bulletin. She directed and played with the Tomales/Two Rock Presbyterian Joint Bell Choir. Suzanne was an avid reader. She had a life-long love of travel, exploring throughout the Sierra Nevada and the Four Corners country: hiking, back-packing, and four-wheeling. She loved swimming & snorkeling and traveled extensively in Hawaii and the Caribbean. She was a consummate artist, creating not only with her words, but touching everything she worked on with her own unique flair.
In January 2025, Suzanne moved to a homestead in Fay Canyon at the southern tip of the Sierra Nevada. She was immersing herself in this new chapter in her life at the time of her death.
Suzanne forged deep friendships with many people during her lifetime. She is profoundly missed by all who knew her and loved her. The family welcomes donations to KRCB Public Radio and the Tomales Regional History Center in memory of her indelible contribution to the Northern California community.