06/02/2026
Alabama Humanities is sad to hear of the passing of Suzanne Wolfe, best known as the founding editor of Alabama Heritage magazine. For her passion and efforts to document the state’s past, Alabama Humanities recognized her as a Fellow in 1995, awarding her with the state’s highest humanities honor. Among many other awards, she also received the Alabama Historical Commission’s Distinguished Service Award in 2001.
Wolfe was a revered journalist and champion of Alabama history. A Renaissance woman, she was also far more than that: an author, preservationist, community volunteer, champion amateur tennis player, and, perhaps most notably beyond her journalism, a painter. According to her obituary, “her work was juried into close to fifty local, state, and national exhibitions, displayed in galleries, and garnered numerous awards.” Her watercolors and pastels were as much a Wolfe trademark as the storytelling found within the pages of Alabama Heritage.
She also had a great sense of humor. To wit, the closing line of her obituary: “She was preceded in death by a long series of devoted dogs, whom, she often claimed, were all unusually talented art critics.”
From all the staff, board, and scholars associated with Alabama Humanities, we send our best to her family and friends, including all at Alabama Heritage. She is missed, but her spirit will always be found in the stories that keep our past present.
Pictured here: A self-portrait and a still life painting by Wolfe, along with the cover of the first issue of Alabama Heritage, in 1986.
Full obituary: tuscaloosamemorial.com/obituaries/Suzanne-Rau-Wolfe?obId=48566752
