Sue Paterno


Suzanne Pohland Paterno, sometimes referred to as "SuePa", is an American philanthropist.
She is the widow of football coach Joe Paterno, who led the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1966 to 2011.

Early life and education

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.
Joe and Sue had 5 children together: Diana, Mary Kay, David, Scott, and Jay; they all graduated from Penn State.

Philanthropy

Together, Joe and Sue Paterno have donated millions of dollars to Penn State and to other charities, most notably, the Special Olympics.
In 2010, Sue Paterno led the charge to build a Roman Catholic student faith center on the Penn State University Park campus. The Suzanne Pohland Paterno Catholic Student Faith Center opened in 2012.