Sue Keffer
By: Brian Wells | Warren Weekly | Published September 29, 2025
WARREN — A woman who served in multiple positions on several boards and commissions in Warren is being remembered by former colleagues as both an inspiration and a go-getter.
Sue Keffer, a long-time member of both the Warren Historical & Genealogical Society and the Warren Historical Commission, died Sept. 19. She was 89.
“Sue could be called on whenever needed and was a stabilizing force in the Historical Society,” Madelyn Zamora, who worked with her, said in an email.
Zamora called Keffer a treasure to the city who never touted her work or made it known to receive accolades.
“She inspired many to learn more about the history of Warren and worked tirelessly to preserve it,” she said.
Becky Hetchler, who served with Keffer on the Warren Historical & Genealogy Society board and the Historical Commission, said Keffer was someone who was always involved in getting things done.
“She was a go-getter, and she always had ideas of things to do and helped carry through with them,” she said.
When Keffer was the chairperson for the commission, Hetchler worked as the treasurer. And when Hetchler was the president of the society, Keffer was the treasurer. They started working together in 2006, Hetchler said.
“As far as the administration of both groups, we worked together quite a bit,” she said.
Keffer also served on the board of the Warren Garden Club and the Warren Symphony Orchestra. In 2017, former Warren Mayor Jim Fouts presented her with the Mayor’s Volunteer Appreciation Award. In 2025, she also received the Alexander Macomb Award from the Macomb County Historical Society for years of dedicated service to the preservation of Macomb County history.
In a Sept. 20 Facebook post on the Warren City Council’s page, Keffer was remembered as a devoted resident of the city since 1962.
“Sue Keffer’s passing is a tremendous loss to Warren,” the statement reads. “Her tireless contributions will live on in the stories we preserve, the music we celebrate and the community she helped to shape. We honor her memory and extend our thoughts and prayers to her family and loved ones.”
In Keffer’s honor, a decorative window is being temporarily installed at the Warren Community Center at 5460 Arden Ave., in the west hallway across from the auditorium next to the Warren Historical Gallery.