Sue Paterno

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Sue Paterno
Sue Paterno speaking at Penn State in 2008
Born
Suzanne Pohland

(1940-02-14) February 14, 1940 (age 84)
Alma materPenn State University B.A.
Spouse
(m. 1962; died 2012)
Children5
WebsitePaterno Family Home Page

Suzanne Pohland Paterno (/pəˈtɜːrn/; born February 14, 1940), sometimes referred to as "SuePa", is an American philanthropist.[1] She is the widow of football coach Joe Paterno, who led the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1966 to 2011.

Early life and education[edit]

Suzanne Pohland was born on February 14, 1940, in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. She studied English literature at Penn State University, where she met then-assistant coach Joe Paterno. Shortly after her graduation in 1962, Joe and Sue were married. She taught at a local school in Centre County, Pennsylvania, for a year before leaving to give birth to her first child, Diana.[2]

Joe and Sue had 5 children together: Diana, Mary Kay, David, Scott, and Jay; they all graduated from Penn State.[3]

Philanthropy[edit]

Together, Joe and Sue Paterno donated millions of dollars to Penn State and to other charities, most notably, the Special Olympics.[3][4][5]

In 2010, Sue Paterno led the charge to build a Catholic student faith center on the Penn State University Park campus.[6] The Suzanne Pohland Paterno Catholic Student Faith Center opened in 2012.[7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Suzanne Pohland Paterno Catholic Student Faith Center". pittsburgh.cbslocal.com. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  2. ^ "Sue Paterno more than coach's wife at Penn State". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Suzanne Pohland Paterno '62" (PDF). Penn State Alumni Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  4. ^ "ESPN.com - Joe Paterno earned $13.4M pension". espn.go.com. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  5. ^ "Paternos gave another $100,000 donation to Penn State in December". pennlive. 2012-01-14. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  6. ^ "The Suzanne Pohland Paterno Catholic Student Faith Center » Blog Archive » A Letter from Sue Paterno". torbertmedia.com. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  7. ^ "Sue Paterno honored at opening of Catholic Center | Archives | collegian.psu.edu". collegian.psu.edu. Retrieved 2 December 2015.