Susan Pitt Anderson

Susan "Sue" Pitt Anderson of Milwaukee, WI, passed away peacefully on Friday, November 22, 2024, at the age of 76.

A “Jersey girl” most of her life, Sue was raised in Highland Park, New Jersey. As a teenager, she was a world class swimmer - setting a world record in 1963, holding numerous American records and national titles, and qualifying for the 1964 and 1968 Olympic Games. Sue graduated from Douglass College at Rutgers University in 1973 with a Political Science degree. Sue joined the Peace Corps and served two years in Tunis, Tunisia teaching and coaching swimming. She returned and settled in Central New Jersey where she was a high school social studies teacher for a few years and swim coach for almost 30 years. In 1991 she founded and served as head coach for Scarlet Aquatic Club, which produced many nationally competitive swimmers and is still thriving today. In 2000 she left coaching and finished her career as Program and Services Director at USA Swimming in Colorado Springs, CO, helping influence the next generation of teams and coaches. Some of the work she was most passionate about at the end of her career was diversity work, expanding access to the sport for coaches and swimmers in cities across the country. Sue influenced the lives of countless people through swimming because she expected excellence, from herself and everyone around her. Sue retired in 2014 and in recent years she was thrilled to see all three grandchildren share her love of the water.

Sue moved to Milwaukee in 2016 to be closer to family. One of her biggest joys in retirement was being a grandmother. She was a constant presence in their lives - school pickups, swim lessons, beach days on Lake Michigan, vacations, and more. The timing of her move also coincided perfectly with getting involved politically in Milwaukee, and Sue quickly plugged into the local activism community. She loved her volunteer work - registering new voters at local high schools and the technical college, working “central count” at the election commission, and tutoring with Forward Scholars.

Those who knew her best called her a "force of nature". She made her opinions known, but backed it up by doing the work. She loved to travel and experience new places and meet new people. Even in her final weeks and days, Sue was able to see the humor in a tough situation and enjoy the company of beloved friends and family. Sue is survived by her family: daughter Catie Anderson and her sons Casey and Rory; daughter Sally Anderson Little, her husband Carson and daughter Piper; brother Don Pitt and his wife Penny and their family; and pre-deceased by her parents, Kay and Larry Pitt. 

If you want to make a donation in her honor, consider Forward Scholars (she's featured as a tutor in the video!) - https://www.forwardscholars.org/ or an organization that provides swim lessons to underserved populations in your community. A celebration of Sue's life will be held in Milwaukee on January 5, 2025. Please contact the family for details.