Obituary of Susan Jennifer Oberhofer-Maben

Susan Jennifer Oberhofer-Maben (Suzie Q) left this world on February 12, 2019. An ordinary obituary recitation seems improper, as Suzie Q was any thing but ordinary. She was a force of nature.Suzie left home at seventeen, but she began pursuing music even before that time. Her beloved mother, Susan Oberhofer, didn’t know when she left that Suzie had already been playing in clubs around North Dallas. Though she attended school in Dallas, Suzie was and always will be a “Jersey Girl,” by her own definition. She had no problem engaging her big brothers, Jim and Jon, in sibling “smashings” when she was a teenager. As Jon put it, “Suzie wasn’t afraid to fight back!” Despite this, both Jim and Jon were her heroes throughout her life. She was never prouder than when discussing their work in the NHRA.Next to music, Suzie loved drag racing the best. The smell of nitro was her aphrodisiac. She would grin at you with her headphones on, tiny pieces of tire rubber dotting her face and scream over the rumble of the car “Isn’t this the greatest thing ever!” When either of her brothers won a race, she would begin a phone/text circuit that she said took over two hours. “We won!” She felt her brothers’ every win and every loss personally. God forbid your team beat either one in the final round.Suzie learned about cars from her father, David Oberhofer, who she described as a “drag racing legend.” Suzie’s greatest desire was approval from her father. She loved Dave and Sue with all of her very substantial heart.The greatest love of Suzie’s life was her husband “Mace” Michael Maben, who preceded her in death. Michael and Suzie met through the music scene and formed an emotional and professional partnership that lasted over twenty years until Michael’s death. Suzie cared for Michael every day during his illness. Those who know her well know she never fully recovered from losing her husband. It is her family’s hope that they are together again.Suzie has many, many friends. The moment you met her, you became one. There was no other option. Her heart roped you in and you instantly felt as though you had known her your whole life. She was a light, and as lost souls are wont to do, strangers clung to her and in doing so found their way home. She was home.As you sang in your signature song, Suzie, we would “rather go blind than see you walk away” from us. But we know you are with Mace on stage now. The lights are coming up as you turn and smile at him. He is giving you that nod and striking that first note. It’s going to be a hell of a performance as always.We just wish we were there to see it.Suzie was preceded in death by her husband, Mace, and Tammy Oberhofer, her brother Jim’s wife.She is survived by her parents, Dave and Sue Oberhofer; her brothers, Jim Oberhofer and Jon Oberhofer and his wife, Kim Oberhofer; nieces, Ashley, Jessica, and Julia Oberhofer; and aunts, uncles and numerous cousins; and Ned, the cat.