Remembering Suzanne Shuchat: A life of generosity, community and care

Suzanne volunteered at Mount Sinai for 27 years, contributing an extraordinary 16,828 hours of service. For many patients and visitors, she was the first friendly face they met at the Information Desk, helping guide them through what could often be a stressful moment.

“Suzanne was an outstanding volunteer, generously donating her time and talents to Mount Sinai,” says Theresa Shiel, Director of Volunteer Resources at Sinai Health. “It was an incredible gift of time, talent and love. She will be deeply missed on her Wednesday afternoon shifts at the Information Desk. Her warm smile brightened the area, and she was always willing to assist patients and families as they entered the hospital. Within the Volunteer Resources Department we learned so much from Suzanne, from her history to her knowledge and her wisdom gained over 97 remarkable years of life.”

Suzanne’s volunteer journey at Mount Sinai began after a turning point in her life. Following the death of her husband in 1998, she sought a way to reconnect with community and find purpose, eventually calling the hospital’s volunteer office and beginning what would become a decades-long dedication. 

Starting with one shift a week, Suzanne quickly became part of the hospital community, forming friendships and finding meaning and fulfillment in helping others. 

“She would say, ‘I want to stay in the flow of life, this is where I meet people and make friends,’” recalls her daughter Rona Shuchat. “It was especially important to her to get out and be part of the hospital community. As much as she gave to Mount Sinai, she, too, was enriched by volunteering there. The hospital became her second home, offering her the comfort of new friendships as she outlived so many of her contemporaries into her late nineties.” 

A generous spirit

Suzanne’s presence was felt across many areas of the hospital over the years. While many knew her for her warm greetings at the front desk, she was also recognized for another talent: knitting. With patience and care, she created hundreds of tiny sweater-and-hat sets for babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) – 375 in total for some of the hospital’s smallest patients.

“Suzanne’s passion for knitting and selfless giving has warmed some of Sinai Health’s smallest patients in the NICU as they journey home,” says Janet Narciso, parent resource nurse in the NICU. “Over the years her many sets were knitted in different colours and beautiful patterns showing her talent. I am sure families were touched by her generosity and compassion for their fragile infants. Her spirit of giving will be missed but not forgotten.”

Friends remember Suzanne as sharp, spirited and endlessly engaging.

“She was in her 90s but never acted like it,” says Marilyn Hahn, fellow Information Desk volunteer and dear friend of Suzanne. “She would always tell lots of stories. She was very smart, a strong woman too. She was quite an interesting phenomenon. Her brain was always so sharp. She’s the kind of person you think will live forever.”

Generations of giving

Suzanne’s dedication to community service ran deep in her family. According to Rona, her grandmother was also a major contributor to the community in Montreal, a legacy of giving that profoundly shaped Suzanne’s life.

“There is a powerful lineage of community between my grandmother and my mom,” Rona says. “She was thoughtful, determined, and deeply committed to helping others. It was woven into her very being.”

Her daughter Joy Shuchat remembers that commitment to independence and service throughout Suzanne’s life. “She always had a full-time career and was very involved in the community,” Joy says. “She had a lot of common sense and intelligence. She had a Bachelor of Science, which was unusual for a woman of her time.”

After her husband’s death, Suzanne first channeled her energy into knitting blankets for women experiencing homelessness before eventually bringing that same care to Mount Sinai.

“That’s kind of how she got involved,” Joy says. “She started volunteering in different departments and eventually ended up at the front desk.” Even into her later years, Suzanne remained deeply passionate about the friendships and connections she built through volunteering.

“About three weeks before her stroke, we had a long phone call, and all she wanted to talk about was friendship,” Rona recalls. “Mount Sinai allowed her to keep building the connections she treasured, at a time when she had few other ways to do so. It meant so much to her. She was truly passionate about it.”

Through thousands of volunteer hours, hundreds of knitted gifts and countless small acts of kindness, Suzanne Shuchat helped make Mount Sinai a warmer place for all she encountered. Her generosity, compassion and dedication will not be forgotten.