Obituary of Suzanne M. Klein

Suzanne Marie Klein of Millstone, NJ, died on July 30th, 2024, at age 57. She was a gentle and creative person who always found humor in life’s simplest moments, bringing joy to everyone around her. She passed away in the arms of her husband, Howard, and mother, Jeannette, at Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

Suzanne was born in Media, PA to Jeannette and John Raftovich. She grew up with her three siblings Paula, Eddie, and Raymond in Cecil County, MD. She attended Perryville High School, where she was able to explore and develop a passion for art and music. This creative passion was woven throughout her life - she designed custom cakes, threw elaborate birthday parties for her loved ones, was always experimenting with new recipes, and knew how to brighten any space with her gardening acumen.

Suzanne always wanted to be a mother, and she started a family with her first husband, Jerry Bowman, in Havre de Grace, MD in 1992. She passed on her hobby of cooking to her children, Nicole and Will, as well as her compassion for animals.

Suzanne married Howard in 2006, and they created a happy life in Manalapan, NJ. The success and happiness of all her children was always a primary focus. She found immense joy in nurturing and lovingly guiding them through their school years and beyond.

Suzanne worked for several blood banks in both Delmarva and central Jersey as a phlebotomist. She also worked for a New Jersey based fintech company, utilizing her operational skills in working with financial institutions to create and deliver mortgage-related documents.

Suzanne brought her creativity and cooking talents to a local boutique chocolatier, designing cakes and specialty items for their clientele.

As a member of a local church, she was involved in food preparation and distribution, which aligned with her desire to serve her congregation and local community.

Suzanne and Howard loved to travel with the family, and together sought out adventures both locally and abroad.

The couple’s desire to leave suburbia for a country setting led them to relocate to Millstone Township, NJ in 2021. This enabled Suzanne to become involved in gardening and other outdoor activities.

She is survived by her husband, Howard Klein; her daughter Nicole Bowman; her son William Bowman, his wife Sarah, and their son Calvin; step-son Lenny Klein; step-daughter Allie Klein; mother Jeannette Wintczak; sister Paula Raftovich; brother Edward Raftovich; and brother Raymond Raftovich. 

Suzanne was predeceased by her father John Raftovich.

Visitation for family and friends to celebrate her life will be held at the Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, 100 Elton-Adelphia Road (Route 524), Freedhold Township on Saturday, August 3, 2024 from 12:00 to 3:30 PM with her funeral service to begin at 3:30 PM. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Marty’s Place Senior Dog Sanctuary at martysplace.org. For information, directions, or to leave condolence messages to the family, please visit www.claytonfuneralhome.com