Susan M. Mann

Susan M. Mann passed away unexpectedly Thursday in a local hospital after a short illness. She was born in Fresno and grew up in Santa Maria. She graduated from UCSB in 1991. She has lived in Nevada City and Chicago and has called Benicia her home for the past 15 years. Most recently, she worked as an office manager. Throughout her years in Benicia, she worked upstairs at First Street Café and for more than 10 years with World Projects promoting high school musicians. She had a gift of design and could make anything beautiful. She studied art in Florence, Italy and loved traveling around the world. She had strong bonds with people in many local communities – the arts, recovery, and the church. She served as President of the Board for Arts Benicia for 2 years. She was a proud member of The Father’s House Church in Napa. Susan left an impression on everyone who had the pleasure of being in her orbit. She literally would give the shoes off her feet to those who needed them more than she did. What gave her the most pride and the greatest joy was being “Aunt Poosie” to her niece and nephew. Her light will be missed every day. Susan is survived by her mother Susan C. Mann; sister Jennifer (Steve Castellano) Franz-Castellano; niece Maddie Franz; nephew Jacob Franz; aunt Billie Nuss; longtime family friend, Dick Mooney; boyfriend Bill King; step-nephew Ryan Castellano; step-niece Carly Castellano; her cat Pablo and a host of family and friends. She was preceded in death by her father James Donald Mann in 1993, her brother-in-law Rick Franz in 2004, and her grandma Beatrice Mann in 2005. During this unprecedented time of social distancing, the family is making all attempts to provide opportunities to grieve together. A visitation will be held on Monday, July 13 from 4-7pm at Passalacqua Funeral Chapel, 901 W. Second Street, Benicia. Due to capacity restrictions, please plan on keeping your visit short to allow everyone the opportunity to pay their respects. Please note that face coverings must always be worn. Once gathering restrictions have lifted, the family will hold a Celebration of Life where the communities she loved and who loved her will be invited to gather, share their memories, and honor her. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of the charities that were special to Susan: www.OneChild.org, www.A21.org, or www.Compassion.com.

Susan M. Mann

December 10, 1968 - July 2, 2020