It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Susan (Sue) Schmitzer Darrington, 4/25/1936 – 5/9/2024. She was a devoted supporter of ALS research for the past 27 years in remembrance of her late husband, Jarvis (Jarv) A Schmitzer, who passed away 2/10/1998 from ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease).

After a protracted diagnostic phase, and largely thru a process of elimination, Jarv was eventually diagnosed in 1997 with bulbar onset ALS, which abruptly cut his life short at the age of 64. At that time there were no direct means to diagnose ALS and being 17 years before the infamous “ice bucket challenge” widely unknown to most people.

Before he lost his mobility, Sue helped Jarv pack in some adventures, including a flying experience in a small private plane with a close friend across the valley of the sun, fly fishing with another friend and swimming with the dolphins at the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Hawaii with family.

Bulbar onset ALS is considered one of the most severe variants of this debilitating disease. It’s associated with cognitive decline, decreased quality of life, and shortened survival expectancy. This form of ALS first affects the control of muscles of the face, head, and neck before causing weakness of the limbs or trunk. Significant speech impairment, tongue immobility, and difficulty swallowing are common early stage symptoms. An ALS patient, although cognitively aware & alert, feels trapped inside one’s body unable to interact or tend to their bodily functions.

At the time Jarv’s illness, the cause of ALS was unknown and treatments were scarce with no identified paths to a cure. There still is no cure for ALS and no medication that can stop its progression. However, there are treatments available and some promising research. Each year more people are diagnose with ALS; we need to better understand the cause of this disease and to find a cure.

ALS research funding is paramount. Please join us in funding this effort.

In lieu of flowers, the Schmitzer family would like to request donations be made to ALS Research at Barrow Neurological Institute in memory of Susan Darrington and her late husband, Jarv.

Thank you,

The Schmitzer Family

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Honoring Yesterday, Supporting Tomorrow.

Barrow Neurological Foundation’s mission is simple: to be the catalyst of our donors’ passion for transformation by providing the resources for Barrow Neurological Institute to achieve its mission of saving human lives through innovative treatment, groundbreaking, curative research and educating the next generation of the world’s leading neuro clinicians. Thank you for your support of this important mission.

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Honoring Yesterday, Supporting Tomorrow.