Susan Lynn Engelhart (née Skallerud), age 79, passed away on March 31, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois, a city she loved above all. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend whose life was defined by her love for others, her infectious laughter, and her unending and contagious fascination with art history, theater, music, literature, learning and teaching.

Susan was born on July 20, 1946, in Hendricks, Minnesota to the late Stanton and Alice Skallerud. She married Michael Anthony Engelhart, and together they shared over 55 years of marriage and a life built around family and travel. They raised their two daughters in Lake Forest, Illinois.

Susan began her career as a flight attendant for Northwest Airlines, where she spent more than 15 years flying routes that took her all over the world. It was through those travels, particularly her time in Japan, that she discovered a lifelong passion for Japanese art and culture.

Always creative, Susan took up photography, fashioning a dark room in both of her homes as an adult. She returned to college while her children were in grade school, graduating with honors in art history from Barat College in Lake Forest, Illinois.

Susan served in the docent program at the Art Institute of Chicago for more than 30 years giving art tours, as President of the Docent Counsel on two occasions, and as an organizer for a beloved weekly study group that ran for almost 10 years exploring new objects and exhibitions. Additionally, she was honored to work under Osamu Ueda cataloging the museum's Japanese woodblock prints and Frank Lloyd Wright's private prints collection.

Susan's vigor for study and building community with bright, interesting women never waned. She was an active and valuable member of several women's organizations and groups in Chicago, including The Fortnightly, the International Women's Associates, and the East Asian Art Group. A talented fundraiser, her work for March of Dimes and Ragdale, an artist residency program, led to record-breaking donations. She also walked tirelessly door-to-door canvassing for Illinois State Representative Susan Garrett, and didn't hesitate to speak out against corruption and injustice.

Her creative interests were wide-ranging. Over the years, she pursued knitting, needlepoint, beading, bookmaking, calligraphy, and the piano. She was rarely without her iPad, always ready to look something up or follow a thread of curiosity wherever it led. She was also a devoted Mahjong player, and her games with friends were a constant source of joy and connection.

Susan was a loving and dedicated grandmother, traveling regularly to visit her children and grandchildren in Colorado and New York. She took great pride in her Norwegian heritage, organizing Johnson family reunions that brought together relatives from her mother's side to reconnect and celebrate their family ties. Her grandchildren will remember her chocolate cakes (sometimes mailed via UPS), chocolate chip cookies and rice Krispie treats, made with the same care she brought to everything. She also adored her beloved dog, Mr. Tibbs, a reflection of her life-long love of dogs.

She is survived by her husband, Michael Anthony Engelhart of Chicago; her daughters, Ashley Ching (Michael) of Bronxville, New York, and Whitney Roberts of Evergreen, Colorado; her seven grandchildren: Dakota, Emerson, Maverick, and Collins Ching, and William, Mae, and Owen Roberts; her siblings, Sandy Saunders (Scott) and Kathy Heim (Tim), both of Iowa; and John Skallerud of Montana.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Stanton and Alice Skallerud, and her dear brother, Stanton "Jerry" Skallerud Jr.

A private celebration of Susan's life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Historic Preservation Foundation of the Fortnightly, a women's club founded in 1873 that held a special place in Susan's life. She was a core member and co-chair of several events, and she brought many of her friends in as new members. Checks can be made payable to "The Historic Preservation Foundation of the Fortnightly" and mailed to The Fortnightly, 120 East Bellevue Place, Chicago, IL 60611-1112.