Susan M. Gushin Dooley's Obituary
Susan Miriam Gushin Dooley, age 80, passed away on December 24, 2023, after a brief illness. Susan is survived by her fiancé, Dennis Gosland, and her children Alisa (Jerry), Glenn (Sonja), Sean, and Erin. Susan is also survived by her sister Karen Sussman (Kenny) and brother Gil Gushin (Thelma). She was loved by her grandsons Jasen, Jack, Joseph, Tyler, and Sammy. She was predeceased by her parents Sam and Ida and brother Glenn David Gushin. Her quiet presence will be missed by her intimate circle of family and friends.
Susan, the eldest daughter of Samuel and Ida Gushin, was born in Boise, Idaho November 20, 1943. The Gushin family grew to include sister Karen Gushin Sussman, and brothers Glenn David (8/17/1950-4/20/1951) and Eugene (Gil) Gushin. The Gushin family lived domestically and internationally in several locations in support of her father’s career as an engineer in the oil industry.
Susan graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village, Kansas in 1961. Following a dream month-long trip to Europe with her Nana and two cousins, Susan attended the University of Kansas with an eye toward becoming a teacher. Instead, she met and married her first husband, John, and started a family. In Lawrence, they welcomed the births of their first two children Alisa and Glenn, before moving to Lakewood, Washington and welcoming son Sean and daughter Erin.
Susan spent her early family years primarily as a homemaker and a volunteer supporting her children’s various activities and interests. She enjoyed cooking and showed love through food. She perfected her suite of specialties over the years and was widely known and appreciated for many, including her holiday cookies which recipients looked forward to every year, the chicken and matzoh ball soup that appeared whenever someone was not feeling well, her perfect potato salad, and most of all the amazing cheese blintzes she could somehow crank out by the hundreds for the holidays or upon request if supplies in your freezer ran low.
In the late 1980’s, Susan took her years of volunteering in her kid’s schools and returned to her early desire to become a teacher. She went to work full time as a paraeducator at Oak Grove Elementary, a school in the Clover Park School District for youth who have psychological needs. Her humor and patience made her a great fit in the challenging environment. She treated each student with kindness and grew to love many. She also loved her co-workers and struck up many lasting friendships. It was with these friends that Susan joined a league bowling team and met her lifelong partner, Dennis Gosland, in 1989. Susan and Dennis bowled together for years, forming teams with her children, and creating memories.
Susan retired after more than 20 years at Oak Grove and was happy to settle into her role as Nana to five grandsons. Together, Susan and Dennis enjoyed years of family celebrations, gatherings, births, and a little travel. Susan continued to cook for family and friends, gardened, and took up knitting. Susan’s most recent joys were spoiling her dog, Mindy, visiting and knitting with her sister, Karen, and temporarily living with Glenn and his family: she loved being part of a busy household and treating her grandsons to batches of homemade cookies.
Dennis, her children, and grandchildren surrounded Susan with love throughout her short illness and in her peaceful passing this past Christmas Eve at her home of almost 30 years.
Funeral arrangements have been faithfully entrusted to Mountain View Funeral Home, located at 4100 Steilacoom Blvd. SW, Lakewood, WA, 98499. For any inquiries, please contact the funeral home at (253) 584-0252.
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