A shining beam of sunlight, our adored Susan ascended peacefully on April 19, 2024 from her own bed with her cherished daughters Sue and Cindy by her side. Susan was proudly and vivaciously independent throughout her 91 years and continued to bring laughter and light to all those she met.
Susanna Francina Elisabeth was welcomed into her loving home in The Hague, Netherlands in 1932. Susan was named after her mother, grandmother and great grandmother – the naming tradition continued for another 183 years -when Susan was overjoyed to meet her namesake, great granddaughter Susanna the 7th born in 2023
Family played an extremely important part throughout her life. She largely raised her baby brother Lodewijk, who was born in the middle of WWII during the Nazi occupation of Holland. Susan was one of the few remaining survivors of the Dutch famine and hunger winter and the experience played a pivotal and eternal role in her outlook on life which was centered around gratitude for every blessing. She shared a perception of life that few ever had the privilege to know.
Along with older brother Nico and younger sister Greet, the family home was full of music, an array of pets, relatives and friends. Family gatherings were always full of storytelling, laughter and everyone was welcomed with open arms. Susan continued this lifestyle throughout her life, hosting hundreds of visitors over the years to her beautiful Guemes Island retreat.
Engaging, smart and humble, Susan had an uncanny ability to connect with people of all ages in a deep and positive way. She wore a welcoming smile with a sparkle in her eyes even in times of struggle or duress. Her laugh was unique and easily recognizable to all those she knew and loved.
Her granddaughter Sara, with whom she shared a special bond, writes of her lovingly as “the definition of a life-long learner, with an incredible curiosity of the world, the cultures and the people who inhabited it. She had such reverence and respect for every living thing in this world and tried to impart those same feelings to everyone in her life. She taught me to welcome unusual experiences and to embrace feelings of wonder in the world, she did this by reading almost constantly and of course by treasuring her friends, old and new. She was impervious to social pressures or embarrassment and wore her passions on her sleeve and charged into the world showcasing them for everyone to see. She was a champion of justice and goodness and believed that little acts of kindness could dramatically improve her community and worked to deliver them as often as she could. She lived for music and joy, laughter and good food, board games and her gigantic garden, and her beloved ragdoll cats.”
Susan was generous to a fault; her door was always open, and she would always give you her full attention and her honest counsel and input. Lovingly called Oma by friends and family alike, she wore the mantle with ease and style. She was quick to pick a bouquet from her garden or deliver fruit from her orchard – hating to let any food ever go to waste. She loved to make and deliver her homemade soup to friends and was known for her beautifully handwritten notes and letters.
Susan’s life will be celebrated on July 20, 2024 at the Spirit Of Guemes church on her beloved Guemes Island where she lived for over 30 years with her husband of 51 years, Edward, who passed away in 2008.
All are welcome.