Sue Zelickson Death: Minnesota Award-winning Culinary and Broadcasting Pioneer Dies at 91

Minnesota is remembering Sue Zelickson, a pioneering broadcaster, food writer, educator, and community advocate whose decades of work helped shape the state’s culinary culture and connect people through food, conversation, and storytelling. Zelickson died on August 7, 2026, at her home in Golden Valley, at the age of 91.

Her death represents the loss of a distinctive voice in Minnesota broadcasting and food journalism. Over the course of her long career, Zelickson built a reputation not only for her knowledge of food but also for her ability to recognize talent, encourage others, and create opportunities within the culinary community.

According to reports from the Minnesota Star Tribune and other Minnesota news outlets, Zelickson’s passing has brought an outpouring of remembrance from people who knew her work and understood the influence she had across Minnesota.

Early Life and Education

Sue Zelickson was born Sue Zipperman on September 13, 1934, and grew up in south Minneapolis.

She attended Washburn High School before continuing her education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she spent two years. She later returned to Minnesota and earned a degree in childhood education from the University of Minnesota.

Her early career began in education, where she worked as a teacher. Although teaching was an important part of her professional journey, her interests would eventually lead her toward food, journalism, radio, and television.

That transition marked the beginning of a career that would make her a familiar and influential figure throughout the Twin Cities.

From Teaching to Broadcasting and Food Journalism

Beginning in the 1970s, Zelickson increasingly became involved in Minnesota’s media and culinary worlds.

Her work in radio and television allowed her to combine storytelling with her passion for food and people. Over time, she became a recognizable presence for audiences throughout the Twin Cities.

One of the defining chapters of her broadcasting career was her long-running program “Food for Thought” on WCCO Radio, which she hosted for 25 years.

The program helped establish Zelickson as a trusted voice on Minnesota’s food scene. Her approach went beyond simply discussing recipes or restaurants. She used her platform to introduce audiences to chefs, culinary professionals, restaurants, and people whose work was helping shape the state’s evolving food culture.

A Voice for Minnesota’s Culinary Community

Zelickson’s influence was not limited to broadcasting.

She also contributed food writing to publications including Mpls.St.Paul Magazine and Minnesota Monthly. Through her writing and media appearances, she helped bring attention to chefs, restaurants, culinary professionals, and emerging talent.

Her work gave readers and listeners an opportunity to discover people who might otherwise have received less attention.

This commitment to highlighting others became one of the most recognizable parts of her professional legacy. Rather than focusing solely on her own career, Zelickson consistently used her platform to help others gain visibility.

Creating Opportunities Through the Charlie Awards

One of Zelickson’s significant contributions to Minnesota’s food industry was the creation of the Charlie Awards.

The awards became an important way of recognizing people making meaningful contributions to the state’s culinary scene. Through the initiative, Zelickson helped celebrate the work of chefs, restaurants, and other professionals who played a role in Minnesota’s food culture.

The Charlie Awards reflected an important part of her philosophy: people who contribute to a community deserve to be recognized.

Her efforts helped create a stronger sense of connection within Minnesota’s culinary industry and gave professionals another opportunity to celebrate one another’s achievements.

Supporting Women in the Food Industry

Zelickson was particularly passionate about supporting women working in Minnesota’s culinary industry.

Through initiatives such as Women Who Really Cook, she worked to highlight female culinary professionals and create greater opportunities for women whose talent and contributions deserved recognition.

Her advocacy came at a time when women in professional kitchens, restaurants, media, and other areas of the food industry often faced significant barriers.

By using her visibility and connections to champion others, Zelickson helped open doors for people who were building their own careers.

Her influence can therefore be measured not only through the programs she created but also through the people she encouraged along the way.

Kids Cafe and Her Commitment to Community

Another important part of Zelickson’s community work was the creation of Kids Cafe.

The initiative reflected her broader belief that food could be a vehicle for bringing people together and supporting communities.

For Zelickson, food was never simply about what appeared on a plate. It represented connection, conversation, generosity, opportunity, and relationships.

That philosophy became a recurring theme throughout her career, both in her media work and in the community initiatives she supported.

A Career Recognized With Major Honors

Zelickson’s contributions eventually earned recognition from respected organizations within broadcasting and the culinary world.

Among her honors was a James Beard Award in 2005, one of the most notable recognitions associated with food and culinary achievement in the United States.

In 2015, she was inducted into the Minnesota Broadcasters Hall of Fame, recognizing her long and influential career in Minnesota broadcasting.

Seven years later, in 2022, she received an International Association of Culinary Professionals Lifetime Achievement Award.

These honors reflected the breadth of her career. Zelickson was not simply a broadcaster or food writer. Her work connected journalism, broadcasting, culinary culture, education, advocacy, and community service.

More Than Food and Recipes

Perhaps one of the most enduring aspects of Sue Zelickson’s legacy was her understanding of what food represented.

For her, food was about much more than recipes, restaurants, or ingredients.

It was about bringing people around the same table. It was about conversations between people who might not otherwise meet. It was about recognizing someone’s talent and giving them a chance to be seen.

That approach helped explain why her influence extended beyond audiences who followed food journalism.

She created relationships and connections that continued long after a radio segment ended or an article was published.

Remembered by Minnesota’s Food and Broadcasting Communities

Zelickson’s death has left a significant gap in two communities she served for decades: Minnesota broadcasting and the state’s culinary industry.

For broadcasters, she represented a generation of media personalities who developed strong relationships with their audiences.

For food professionals, she was an advocate who understood the importance of giving chefs, restaurant owners, culinary workers, and emerging talent a platform.

For the wider Minnesota community, she was someone who consistently looked for ways to bring people together.

Her influence is therefore difficult to measure by a single program, award, or organization. It exists across the many people and institutions that benefited from her work.

Sue Zelickson’s Family

Zelickson is survived by her sons, Barry and Brian Zelickson, as well as four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Her family now faces the loss of a woman who spent more than nine decades building a life filled with professional achievements, community involvement, and meaningful relationships.

While much of her public legacy can be seen through her broadcasting and culinary work, her family will carry personal memories that cannot be captured by awards or professional accomplishments.

Those private memories will remain an important part of her family’s remembrance of her.

Services Will Be Private

According to the information available, services for Sue Zelickson will be private.

Her family and loved ones are being given the opportunity to mourn her passing away from the public spotlight while remembering her life and the many years they shared with her.

Sue Zelickson’s Lasting Legacy

Sue Zelickson leaves behind a remarkable legacy that stretches across Minnesota’s broadcasting, food, journalism, and community sectors.

She spent decades using her voice and influence to recognize others, promote culinary talent, support women, encourage emerging professionals, and bring people together.

Her work demonstrated that media can be about more than entertainment or information. It can also create opportunities, strengthen communities, and help people discover voices they might otherwise never encounter.

Through “Food for Thought,” her food writing, the Charlie Awards, Kids Cafe, Women Who Really Cook, and the many relationships she developed throughout her career, Zelickson helped leave a lasting mark on Minnesota.

Her influence will continue through the people she supported, the culinary professionals she championed, the organizations she helped establish, and the generations of Minnesotans who encountered her work.

For those who knew Sue Zelickson personally or followed her career, her passing marks the end of an extraordinary chapter. But the community she helped build will continue to reflect the values she championed: generosity, recognition, connection, and a belief in the power of bringing people together.

Sue Zelickson was 91 years old.