WA - Susanne was quite formidable. She had wit and intelligence in spades and could totally disarm a room full of folks with her easy, Midwestern humor. She loved laughing and making others laugh, connecting with friends, and charming strangers with her authentic interest in their lives. This was her way.

Susanne wrote and spoke herself through a storied career, and she wasn't afraid to take on controversial issues.

She was a Me Too whistleblower long before the movement had momentum. In 1994, while Spokesperson for the Governor, Susanne reported that Governor Lowry persistently sexually harassed her. The Governor denied the charges, and he and his staff worked to undermine her credibility. Subsequently additional women came forward anonymously with similar sexual harassment charges, vindicating Susanne's account of the Governor as a predator. The Governor agreed to settle the case, but Susanne would not do so unless he paid the settlement out of his personal assets, made a public statement and the State implemented measures to help prevent and investigate future sexual harassment cases.

But that is not the story that she would tell an audience. Her passion and full attention were reserved for family. Susu, as she was known to her Indiana family, spoke to her siblings daily and doted on her nieces and nephews at full tilt. Her children, Sophie and Isaac, became the singular loves of her life with her husband Mark, just a plank length behind. And their love was something to experience - for the knowing humor in every interaction.

Susu cared deeply about politics, local and worldwide. She read the papers, kept up with her favorite editorialists, and sought out conversation about the issues that mattered to her. She was devoted to her Jewish community, Herzl Ner Tamid, and believed that human rights were a priority.

She enjoyed watching British mysteries, listening to Bruce Springsteen and Van Morrison, reading Swedish crime novels and literature, and Jewish learning. She loved gardening, and sewing, creating unique outfits and giving them to friends and family.

Susu had a long fight with Lupus. Despite constant pain and frequent trips to the ER over 30 years, she was a fighter, and rather than take out her pain on others, she exuded love and kindness.

Susu loved and appreciated her life. She was the life of every party. Susu knew how to make people feel seen and loved. She was generous, with no strings attached, with both individuals and causes.

Above all, Susu cared about the community she belonged to, as a mother, wife, sister, aunt, neighbor, friend, patient, and Seattle resident. She cultivated good. She loved without reservation. She is missed immeasurably and remembered in stories of silliness and embellished facts. We love you, Susu.