December 13, 1950 – January 16, 2020
Longtime Palisadian Suzanne Bragg Levanas died peacefully on January 16 at UCLA Medical Center, due to complications from heart surgery at the age of 69.
A proud Canadian turned American, Suzanne lived her life embracing adventure. She was born on December 13, 1950 in Calgary, Alberta. After earning her undergraduate degree at the University of Calgary, she obtained a master’s degree in Social Work from UCLA.
While traveling in Mexico in 1978, she met and fell in love with a scruffy young sailor named Mike. Ever up for new experiences, Suzanne joined the crew and sailed back to Los Angeles with him.
The couple got married in 1979 and became parents to their two daughters in 1982 and 1985. Danielle and Virginia attended Corpus Christi.
Suzanne was a three-time cancer survivor. For 17 years, she dedicated her life work to others fighting breast and ovarian cancer as an LCSW at Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology.
She was a lover of nature, hiking, bike riding, camping and mindfulness. She completed three marathons after turning 40 and rode her bike with her husband from San Francisco to Los Angeles at the age of 60.
Suzanne became involved in the mindfulness community at InsightLA. Her great loves were her family and her precious community of friends.
She is survived by her spouse, Judge Michael Innes Levanas; daughters Danielle Bragg Levanas and Virginia Bragg Levanas; son-in-law CarloVito Sunga Santangelo; grandson Remy Michael Santangelo and sister Marilyn Bragg Symons. She is preceded in death by mother Dorothy Bragg, father Russell Bragg and brother Danny Bragg of Calgary.
A funeral mass is scheduled for noon this Saturday, January 25, at Corpus Christi Church, with a reception gathering to follow. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Suzanne’s life.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests you do something kind for a stranger. Suzanne lived by the motto “live with joy” and found beauty in small acts of kindness.
Donations may also be made to Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation, Gift Designation: “Deer Park Monastery,” in memory of her. Suzanne spent many silent retreats there and deeply valued the experiences. https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/one-time-giving
Suzanne’s light will continue to shine. What a beautiful woman inside and out. It’s been a honor to get to know her ??? Thank you, Sue, for honoring her ??