Suzanne Pohland Paterno (/pəˈtɜːrnoʊ/; 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.
Sue Paterno
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Sue Paterno speaking at Penn State in 2008
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| Born | Suzanne Pohland (1940-02-14) February 14, 1940 (age 84)
Latrobe, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Penn State University B.A. |
| Spouse |
(m. 1962; died 2012) |
| Children | 5 |
| Website | Paterno Family Home Page |
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]
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]