Susan Lynn Vabro, 62, of North Riverside, died on June 4, 2026, after facing, with incredible strength, triple negative inflammatory breast cancer. Born on Feb. 26, 1964, she was a graduate of Riverside Brookfield High School, Class of 1982. She built a life rooted in family, community, kindness, and quiet devotion. She had a way of making people feel cared for — through her words, her wisdom, her cooking, her humor, and the countless little traditions she made special.
She worked at Komarek Public School as a teacher’s aide and at the North Riverside Public Library as a page. She also served as vice president of the Mater Christi School Board and as a Girl Scout Leader.
She found joy in quilting, crafting, and creating things with her hands. Her attention to detail showed in everything she made. She was an amazing cook and the neighborhood Halloween candy basket lady. Her favorite place was Camp Sokol in New Buffalo, Michigan, a place that held deep meaning for her and her family.
She had an astonishing depth of knowledge and was teaching, explaining, remembering, and sharing what she knew right up until the end. Her family will forever treasure her wisdom, her stories, her sense of humor, and the way she always seemed to know something about everything.
Susan was the wife of Richard F. Vabro Jr., who always called her his “Bride,” for 42 years; the mother of Kelly, Joshua (Ashley), and Chelsea (Brink), and the proud Babi of Easton; the daughter of the late Harold James and Charlene Hall; and the sister of Michael (Gail).
Visitation will be held at Woodlawn Funeral Home, 7750 W. Cermak Road, Forest Park, IL 60130, on June 12 from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m., June 13, at Mater Christi Church in North Riverside, with interment to follow at Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery & Mausoleums, 1400 S. Wolf Road, Hillside.