Susan Jeannette "Sue" Kahles (76), of Round Lake, Illinois, passed away on September 3, 2023, surrounded by her family. Sue was the strongest, most impactful woman in our lives, and we were blessed to have learned, grown, and been loved by her.

Sue was born on April 7, 1947 to William and Sophie Perberg in Chicago as the third of five children. Sue graduated two years early with honors from Resurrection High School in 1963 and went on to earn degrees in Biology and Art History at Mundelein College (Loyola University) while working as a lab technician at Resurrection Hospital.

When Sue was just 14, she met and fell in love with John Kahles at their church teen club. In 1969 Sue and John married and later had three children, Kristen, Jennifer, and Peter. John and Sue were inseparable through their 54 years marriage, and as a couple with demanding, thriving and sometimes competing careers in the 1980's, they forged a loving partnership to somehow make it all work - in ways that were light-years ahead of most others.

Sue was a fiercely smart, hardworking trailblazer for career-focused women with families. She started her career as a high school Biology teacher and took a pause for five years to have her daughters. When she returned to the workforce, she discovered computer technology and became one of very few women who rigorously and successfully climbed corporate ladders to executive ranks, which opened doors for all the women who followed in her footsteps, including her daughters.

Sue was an incredibly talented baker and cook, an avid reader, and world traveler. Her passion and propensity for history, theatre, and visual arts as well as her stubborn drive for success will live on in our family for many generations to come.

Sue was predeceased by her brother Bill, and her son, Peter. She is survived by her husband John, daughters Kristen (Marco) Campos and Jennifer (Brad) Allen, siblings, Nancy (Tom) Wegner, Darlene (Wally) Plocinski, and Jerry (Carol) Perberg, and grandchildren A.J., Elliot, Ava, Nina, Cole, and Maddy.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, September 7th from 3 - 8 p.m. at Kolbus-John V. May Funeral Home at 6857 W. Higgins Avenue in Chicago. Interment will be private. Flowers or donations to the American Heart Association in Susan's name would be appreciated. For information, 773-774-3232 or www.kolbusmayfh.com