Susan Danielak

Susan Danielak, 64, of Peoria, AZ, formerly of Hurley, died Thursday, January 11, 2018. Born in Brooklyn, she was a daughter of Henry Schwab of Kingston and the late Sabina Rozen Schwab. Susan was a strong mother, a loving aunt, and a caring friend. Susan resided in the Kingston/Hurley area for three decades, and her circle of friends was deep and wide. Susans warm, outgoing personality made her a fixture in the neighborhood, beloved by neighbors and children alike. Since childhood, she had a passion for the arts and musical performance. She attended Midwood High School in Brooklyn, where she was active in Sing vocal competitions. Her talented dancing won her a much coveted role in the Senior production of Cabaret. Following high school, she graduated Brooklyn College, and she spent extended time during college living on a kibbutz in Israel. Susan found personal fulfillment in being a board member of the Ulster County Jewish Federation, a volunteer language tutor, and a well-regarded member of the staff at UARC, now ARC of Ulster Greene. She was a fierce advocate for mental health awareness, in no small part because of her own diagnosis of bipolar disorder in her early twenties. She insisted people with mental illnesses were people first; that they were entitled to live their lives with dignity, free from stigma. Susan moved to the Phoenix, AZ area in 2013, where she began a new phase of life. She forged new friendships and rekindled her love of swimming. All the while, she maintained her roots in New York, staying in frequent contact with her sister, Felice Povill, and her beloved aunt Irene Katz. She called her father, Henry Schwab, every day. In addition to her father, Susan is survived by: her son, Jason Danielak and his husband, Edwin of Phoenix, AZ; her son Brian Danielak of New York, NY; her sister, Felice Povill and her husband Gary of Hurley, NY. Susan also lives on through her nieces and nephews: Evan and Jennifer Povill, and their daughters Abigail and Rebecca; Joshua Povill, his wife Laura, and their son Oliver; David Povill and his wife Marci, and their daughter Sabina. A Funeral Service will be held on Friday, January 19, 2018 at the Simpson-Gaus Funeral Home, 411 Albany Ave at 10:00 AM, with Rabbi Jonathan Kligler of the Woodstock Jewish Congregation, officiating. Interment will follow in Montrepose Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donating to the Mental Health Association Of Ulster County, which was an important organization in Susans life. Visit http://www.mhainulster.com/