Susan Patricia Fino, a longtime professor of political science at Wayne State University,
died on July 23, 2026.

Susan earned her B.A. from Johns Hopkins University before completing both her M.A. and Ph.D. at Rutgers University. She joined the faculty at Wayne State, where she taught constitutional law, American government, and constitutional rights and liberties for decades, earning the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching along the way. Her scholarship focused on American constitutional law, administrative law, and the workings of state supreme courts, and she was a recognized voice on Michigan's legal and political history. Colleagues and students alike knew her as formidably well-read, exacting, and possessed of a wit that could disarm a room mid-lecture. Her passion for constitutional law, in particular, even extended to her family, helping her nephew pass the bar exam.

Outside the classroom, Susan's passions ran in delightfully unexpected directions. She was an avid enthusiast of ocean liners and became a dedicated collector of maritime artifacts and memorabilia, amassing pieces that reflected a genuine scholar's curiosity applied to a lifelong love. She treasured the sea in general, making time for whale watching, boat tours, snorkeling, and of course, meals at her favorite restaurant, Bahr's Landing in the Atlantic Highlands. She was also well traveled and a devoted photographer, always ready to see the world through a lens, and an equally devoted lover of all animals, but most especially her bull terrier, Cheswick. Susan was a voracious reader and could always be found with her nose in a book, a love she shared with her niece and nephews.

Her family remembers Susan for the many adventures they had together, from vacations to alien-themed parties to the Six Flags Animal Safari to nights on the boardwalk at the Jersey Shore. Susan spent most summers and holidays with her family, who will forever cherish the happy memories and laughs they had with Susan, including trouncing other families at trivia night on cruises and, on one occasion, causing the host to comment “my, these people ARE serious.” A momentous outing to the Six Flags Animal Safari led to the coining of “baboon bypass,” a phrase the family still uses today. At the time, you could drive your own car through the safari park and the family chose not to take a detour - the baboon bypass - to avoid baboons jumping on the car and ripping things off of it. Lessons were learned, and now the phrase is more generally applied to describe taking measures to avoid any bad situation.

Susan was a diverse pop culture enthusiast as well. She made sure her niece and nephews all saw the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings trilogy. Later in life, she got a kick out of the Venom movies and the Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy series. She was also responsible for introducing the family to Game of Thrones. She had a knack for finding things nobody else could, like a German Christmas tradition that involved hunting for a pickle.

Susan cherished the time she spent antiquing with her sister at "the sheds" in Red Bank, NJ — the two of them could spend hours browsing together. She also loved their trips to Atlantic City, where playing the Jackpot Party slot machine became a favorite tradition between them. And she treasured their visits to Sandy Hook, NJ, where they'd drive along the shore keeping an eye out for seals.

She loved music, keeping in touch with former students who became musicians, even commissioning a custom piece from one of them that was based on the songs of the whales in the sea. She played the guitar and the melodica, and would always sing when the mood struck.

Susan is survived by her sister, Judith Fino Major; her nephews and niece, Christopher, Thomas, married to Ashley, and Laura Major; and her grandnieces, Lucille, Viola, and Evelyn Major. She will be remembered for her intelligence, her singular sense of humor, and the passion and curiosity she brought to everything she loved.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the SS United States Conservancy, in keeping with one of Susan's greatest joys.