Suzanne Elizabeth Foucault, daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, friend, leader, and pioneer died at home after a two-and-a-half year battle with cancer. Born in the Bronx, New York, her family moved to Orange County, California where she grew up in Buena Park. She demonstrated throughout her life the gifts of loyalty, wisdom, knowledge, and leadership.

A graduate of John F. Kennedy High School, her leadership skills became evident as captain of the drill team and valedictorian. While studying political science at California State University Fullerton she became the founding president of the Gamma Phi Beta chapter. She served an internship with the City of Fountain Valley which led to a 38-year career in municipal government management working for the California cities of Fountain Valley, Newark, San Clemente, and Oceanside where she was the first female city manager of a city with over 100,000 people. She was on the staff of the League of California Cities. She and her husband, Bob Nelson, were the first city manager couple in California when she was appointed city manager of Oceanside while he was city manager of Del Mar. Married in 1974, they often kept separate households in order to pursue their professional careers.

Her leadership skills became known throughout the state as the executive director of the San Diego Regional Training Center (RTC). The principle clients of the RTC were cities, police departments and the California Police Officers Standards and Training Commission (POST). She created or coordinated training programs for police management, investigators, and records supervisors, public works and other municipal managers and supervisors and assisted in addressing organizational problems for cities throughout the State of California.

Devout in her Christian faith, Suzanne held many leadership positions in the Episcopal Church. Bishop Mathes wrote on the citation for the Bishop's Cross, which he awarded to Suzanne on November 7, 2015: "Over the past eleven years, Suzanne has served our diocese in many ways. Some are well-known. She has conducted countless mutual ministry reviews for congregations. She has served as deputy to three General Conventions. She has led retreats and other consultations. As she has served the diocese and wider church, she has been an ever present part of St. Peter's, Del Mar, a faithful partner to Deacon Bob Nelson, and a blessed mother to her children. What is less well-known is her work as consultant to seven dioceses as a search consultant for Episcopal elections, including our diocese. She has also been a facilitator for retreats for our diocesan council, diocesan executive council, and worked with our staff in numerous staff retreats and planning days."

While she loved her profession and her church, she loved family and friends more. She kept close friendships with many men and women, some for over 50 years. She is survived by her mother and step-father, Marge and Richard Hoyt, Escondido, her husband Bob Nelson, Del Mar, her step-sons Rob Nelson and Eric Duckworth-Nelson (Jamie) of San Leandro, her daughters Annie Boyd (Jon) of Cardiff and Katherine Foucault-Nelson of Oceanside, granddaughters Emily and Madelyn of San Leandro, and her brother and sister-in-law Doug and Dreshel Foucault, Valley Center.