Susan "Susie" Devilbiss Cavalear

Susan (Susie) DeVilbiss Cavalear passed away Saturday morning, November 25th. She was born August 31, 1939, in Toledo, OH and raised by June and Vondell William (Pat) Patterson. During her childhood she spent many fun summers at Clark Lake in Michigan. Susie graduated from DeVilbiss High School in 1958 and attended the University of Toledo. She married James Bond DeVilbiss and started her family. James passed away in 1964, and she eventually married her husband of 41 years, Bob Cavalear. Her family grew and Toledo was her hometown for many years, where she was an active member of The Junior League. Winters were spent in the sunshine in Boca Raton, Florida with Bob.

Susie was known for her infectious personality and sparkling smile, and loved to make people laugh. Many life-guiding sayings were favorites for her, such as, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”, “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”, and “If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all”. She loved the Irish prayer,

“May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm on your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

She was competitive and possessed great enthusiasm and athletic abilities. At Belmont, Stone Oak, and Royal Palm Country Clubs, she won many championships in tennis and golf and was also known to swim across and back the Maumee River and Clark Lake. A lifelong member of the Toledo Club, she went there daily to swim and workout; it was her fitness mecca.

She was preceded in death by by James Bond DeVilbiss, Robert Cavalear, Greg Cavalear, and her sister, Sally McCarthy. She is survived by two sisters, Judy Smith and Peggy Patterson.

She is survived by her four children: Jim DeVilbiss, Linda Rava (Alan), Shannon Gallup (Bill), and Rob Cavalear (Kathy), seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

The family would like to acknowledge and express their great gratitude to Dorothy Armstead for her loving care, friendship, and companionship she gave Susie for many, many years.

The family will have a private service to celebrate her life. Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider the Cavalear DeVilbiss Gallup Scholarship Fund at Culver Academy. The Walker Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements.