Susan's Early Years

Susan's mother Elisabeth was born in a small village in eastern Hungary into an orthodox Jewish family. By running away from home as a teenager she survived the Holocaust. Living in Athens, Greece she made her living as a tango dancer until World War II when she met Susan's father, Bill, a Major in the British Army. Elisabeth reached England as a stowaway on a RAF bomber. She and Bill were married four days after they landed in England. After the war, Bill went on to work for British European Airways setting up European and Middle Eastern routes.

Susan was born in the Royal Free Hospital and grew up in Holborn and Baron's Court. Around age ten Susan's mother became ill with severe arthritis. Susan had to adjust her role in to care for her mother and become more independent. "I was used to going about London by myself from an early age," says Susan." I went to ballet classes behind the old Windmill Theatre in Soho and used to chat with the spangled ladies standing in the doorways."

Susan attended the highly competitive St Paul's Girls' School in Hammersmith where she earned a scholarship to continue her studies at Oxford University. She studied politics, philosophy and economics at St Hilda's College, Oxford and enjoyed university life to the full, including an acting stint for a university troupe at the Edinburgh Festival. In 1971 She was elected as President of the Oxford Union - the second woman ever to hold the post.

At University she met and married American student John Kramer. John was active in American politics and went on to become Secretary of Transport for the State of Illinois. During this period John and Susan lived in America and started a family. Their son, Jonathan was born in 1974 with a daughter, Abigail following in 1976. While in America, Susan also earned an MBA from the University of Illinois and began her career in banking.