Susan Finis

My mottos in life, #1 Love truly, laugh uncontrollably…and never regret anything that made you smile. #2 have passion in everything you do, it is more enjoyable that way. #3 has helped me tremendously in life to get through hard times, This is Now, this is not Always!

Over the years I've learned "Life is short", so I try to get the most out of each day. You might wonder how one can have passion in being a Development Controller for a real estate development company, but I'm living proof with a few more gray hairs in the current econony. I've been a part of some of the largest and most complex real estate development deals in Chicago. You should see the looks I get when I point to a building and say "I built that".

I left Palatine in 1979 to move to the city. Oak Park called my name a few years later. 15 + years in my Oak Park condo, then led me to a single family home in Norwood Park, the northwest corner of the city. Loved the next 15 years gardening and shoveling snow. Deciding it was time to downsize. I moved back to Palatine, my 3br condo is perfect for me. (Especially when Covid hit, I had a home office that worked out great.). The last few months I’ve been splitting my time between Palatine and Golden, Colorado.

I was a late bloomer when it comes to skiing. At the age of 35, I stood under the flag that said Lesson #1 with my skis in hand. The instructor told us to put our skis on ---I said "how" and "I guess I should be in Lesson #0". the rest is history.
Skiing has taken me to some of the most beautiful landscapes…in the US and Europe. Skiing to me brings a peaceful and calmness to my being. Then the next minute an exhilarating feeling like no other. Thus my splitting my time now between Palatine and Colorado.

The best advice I can give anyone is --don't be afraid to laugh at yourself...and don't be afraid to be yourself. It is all good!

Making the first girl's ever interscholastic tennis team (nothing like girl's tennis now), football games, homecoming floats, German class-having to pay a penny for every word we said in English, learning how to do a sommersault in gym class (don't ask me to do one now), and working for Chas. A. Stevens with fellow Fremd-ites for $1.90 per hour, and many, many great friends and memories.