A WORKMATE GREATLY MISSED | Vale Sue Natoli

Sue had been the manager of the Fairfield Champion and the Liverpool Champion for over a decade, her time at Fairfax Media characterised by long established friendships with staff and clients alike.

Her death comes after a protracted battle with cancer, not so much a battle she lost as more a battle she fought long and hard and found triumphs in, never losing her candour, indomitable spirit and love and respect for all those around her, and this lives on.

Sydney Group Managing Editor Paul Roberts said: “Our collective heart goes out to Sue's family. Not only will the Champion team at Lansvale miss her; so too will the entire Sydney group and wider Fairfax ACM business. 

“Sue was a powerhouse in sales, that's undeniable. She was also highly regarded in management circles and well respected by her colleagues in editorial, finance and administration. She is sadly missed across our departments as a respected team member, mentor and friend.”

Fairfield Champion and Liverpool Champion Sales Manager Phyllis Scarfone said: “No words can express my feelings today. It’s a sad day for not only myself but for the many colleagues here at Fairfax. I’ve known Sue since 1998 when I was one of the lucky managers at the time to mentor her at the start of her newspaper career.

“I had the pleasure of having Sue as part of my team and I quickly recognised she was going places. I remember the day I spoke to her about her becoming a sales manager one day – she just couldn’t believe she was capable of that.

“Boy was she wrong! Sue was not only a fantastic sales person but went on to become a very well-respected sales manager. She was such a hard worker and very passionate about newspapers, and that was the key to her success.

“I’d like to thank the many business-owners who reached out to Sue in her time of illness. During my last conversation with her, just recently, she said she was so grateful for knowing all the wonderful people who’d come in to her life. Sue, we’ll all miss you.”

Fairfield Champion Senior Journalist Chris Boulous said: “Sue was a wonderful lady, leader and mentor. I worked with her for many years and despite being in different departments she was someone I always looked to for advice because of her experience and expertise in the newspaper industry.

“Her bubbly and infectious personality was well-known in the community and she did a great job of making the whole team feel like a family.

“Sue, I'll miss our chats. I'll miss your ability to make me smile. I'll miss seeing you every day. Rest in peace.”

Fairfield Champion Advertising Executive Jenny Edwards said: "I've known Sue since 1983. We met at a Tupperware party she was running at Ingleburn and she recruited me into Tupperware as my manager. I left after 18 months, in 1993, and went into real estate but our paths continued to cross because she was the real-estate rep for the Liverpool Champion​. I was a real-estate agent in Liverpool for 23 years.

"In 2008 I finished up in real estate and she came asking for me. She told me to apply for one of the sales positions going at the Champion. That was in February 2008 and I'm still here! She was the manager of Liverpool Champion by this stage. I think she valued my sales experience and she'd also trained me in direct sales when we were in Tupperware together.

"I was looking for something different and I wanted to take the job at the Champion because I'd be working with Sue. I trusted her and I knew her well and this made a new role less confronting. We worked together in the Champion office for 10 years. She was my manager. I found her to be very fair and compassionate. If you had a problem you could always go and talk with her as a person and you could always be honest with her.

"I'll miss her personality. She knew everybody, all the customers. If there was ever a problem it’d be sorted because she could connect with customers on a personal level and they all trusted her. We all did."

The service will be held on Tuesday, March 13, at 11am at St Mary MacKillop Catholic Church, 94 Oran Park Drive, Oran Park. Church office: 4648 2226.