Sue Gunzburger, who served decades in elected office, dies at 86

She was a longtime community leader who served for decades as a commissioner, first representing the city of Hollywood and then Broward County.

Suzanne “Sue” Gunzburger died Sunday, her family said. She was 86.

Her legacy of public service included serving 10 years on the Hollywood City Commission and 22 years on the County Commission. Along the way, Gunzburger developed a reputation for persistent advocacy on behalf of community members.

“She took her own lived experiences out in the community as a volunteer and she turned them into a source of power, by not only advocating for justice but taking the mantle of leadership herself,” recalled County Commissioner Nan Rich, Gunzburger’s longtime friend and colleague.

Gunzburger was born Suzanne Nathan in Buffalo, New York, on July 12, 1939.

She spent most of her childhood in New Jersey and Michigan before attending Wayne State University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in education.

Gunzburger worked as a schoolteacher in Detroit before relocating to South Florida with her family in 1967, settling permanently in Hollywood the following year.

She received her master’s degree in clinical social work from Barry University and served as a family counselor before entering politics.

Gunzburger took her first steps into activism in the mid-1970s, spurred on by the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment and other feminist causes.

Sun Sentinel

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Broward County Commissioner Sue Gunzburger, and her son, Ron Gunzburger, who helped get Sheriff Scott Israel elected and then was hired to be BSO general counsel. (South Florida Sun Sentinel)

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She and Rich were both involved with volunteer work for the National Coalition of Jewish Women.

In short time, advocacy turned into a career in local politics. Gunzburger’s son, Ron Gunzburger, 62, described her as an “underdog” in the crowded 1982 race for a seat on the Hollywood City Commission, where she prevailed with grassroots support.

Gunzburger left city government for a seat on the County Commission in 1992.

As a public official, she fought for initiatives supporting children, the environment, social justice, the arts, and ethics in government, among other issues.

Her proudest accomplishments included protecting parts of Hollywood Beach from high-rise development, helping create the County Commission’s ethics code and Children’s Services Council, and spearheading county commissioners’ switch from at-large representation to district-based seating, according to her son.

“She was not your typical politician. She, at her heart, was still the old-school teacher she started as,” Ron Gunzburger said. “Her actions made a lot of people’s lives better in a concrete way.”

In 2014, Gunzburger retired as a commissioner. She remained active in community life until her death, serving on the boards of Temple Beth El, the Hollywood Lakes Civic Association and other organizations.

Gerry, Gunzburger’s husband of 49 years, died in 2009.

She is survived by her brother, Larry Nathan, her children, Ron, Cindy, and Judy, and her three grandchildren.

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