Susan Blumenthal

Susan Blumenthal, age 78, of Ithaca, passed on February 16, 2023 in Ithaca after a protracted battle with cancer. She was born in Chicago in 1944 to Julius and Erna Blumenthal, who had escaped from Nazi Germany in 1938. At age five she was taken in as a foster child by Moritz and Helen Weiss and their daughter Lorraine, where she spent the rest of her childhood, and with whom she maintained a loving relationship for the rest of their lives.

Susan's childhood experiences instilled in her a very strong sense of self-sufficiency.  It was important to her that one stay on the right path, and watch out for oneself. That said, her dedication to her family, her community, and to “the greater good” never wavered.

She earned a bachelors degree in history from the University of Illinois in 1966. After working as a planner for the City of Chicago, she decided to pursue a formal education in the field and earned a Masters degree in City and Regional planning at Cornell in 1978. In Ithaca, she met her husband, David Kreinick, and they were married in 1979.

Susan had a very strong sense of order and detail, and she liked to see things done the right way, as evidenced by her very charming habit of leaving Post-It notes around the house.

Susan was an avid reader, especially publications that would keep her informed of current events.  She kept her subscription to the Chicago Tribune, many years after leaving that city.  She also loved to read and collect books on history and architecture, and many family vacations included visits to Frank Lloyd Wright structures, as did trips to New York City to visit her son. Many outings and strolls took considerably longer than anticipated, as Susan's love for architecture – and for talking to people – resulted in many delays.

Susan used her talent and education to the benefit of the City of Ithaca. Her career in public service began in 1984, when she was appointed to the city’s planning board where she served for 11 years, eight years as its chair.  Eight years as an elected official on Common Council followed.  One of her largest projects was the development of retail in the City’s southwest. She also chaired the Downtown Visions Task Force, assisted in the waterfront siting of the Ithaca Farmer’s Market, and helped found the Tompkins County Beautification Program and the Susan Blumenthal Pride of Ownership Award.

Susan was an extremely strong and healthy woman throughout most of her life. She enjoyed international folk dancing and bicycling, and she was especially proud of bicycling around the lake in the 2006 AIDS Ride for Life. It will surprise no one who knew her that while she originally planned to utilize the support vehicle for the last half of the ride, she instead reached deep and completed the 90-plus mile ride around the lake with her husband.

Susan is survived by her husband, and her son, Michael Herschel (“Heschi”) Kreinick. Her parents Julius and Erna Blumenthal and sister Judith Blumenthal predeceased her. Her foster parents Moritz and Helen Weiss, foster sister Lorraine Lazar, and Lorraine’s daughter Karen Rosenberg also died before Susan.

The funeral for Susan took place Feb. 19 at Lakeview Cemetery. Donations in her memory can be made at the Jewish Child and Family Service of Chicago, Emory University School of Medicine, or Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Bangs Funeral Home, Ithaca, NY.  Online condolences may be made to Susan’s family at www.bangsfuneralhome.com.