Susan H. Gary's Obituary
Susan Hazel Gary
1948-2011
Susan Gary lived a life of love of family, constant faith and service touching the lives of hundreds of women and girls through the Girl Scouts and of travel and adventure. She showed how to survive broken dreams, health issues and how to "keep on". Sue was born the oldest child of Rev. Wayne and Doris Long in Berkeley CA but moved over 20 times before she graduated from high school. The family grew to 7 children living in large parsonages throughout the central valley of CA. She loved to care and nurture her younger siblings. She attended Sacramento State College but realized that she would rather be in the working world and spent many years in human resources, customer service, and payroll. She married Al Franzmann, adopted Tonia and Troy as her own and then had daughter Julie and son David. After some difficult years struggling with separation, divorce and breast cancer as a young, single mom, Sue moved to WA. She met and married Tim Gary who gave her "her turn" at happiness. She became very active in Girls Scouting, leading troops, campouts, cookies (oh those cookies!) and in the area council as well. She received many acknowledgements and awards for her work in Girl Scouts and the "little red wagon" award for community service. Throughout her life, Sue loved to travel the world with family and friends. Despite her small stature (5') and small feet (size 4 1/2 -5) she traveled from WA to Europe to Morocco in all modes of transportation, from backpacks to cruises to trains to camels! Family who will miss her include mother, Doris Long; loving husband, Tim; daughter Julie, Vince and the little love of her life, granddaughter Chloe; son Dave, Cathy and anticipated granddaughter to be born 1/2012; daughter Tonia and family and son Troy. Sue is older sister to surviving siblings: Becky, (Brian), Jerry (Marilyn), Jeannie, Ken (Kitty), Matt.and dear family friend, Laurie. Her father passed in 2001 and brother Dwayne (Jana) passed in 1985. Sue was a wonderful aunt, always interested in the lives of her nieces and nephews: Amy (Dave) living in Mozambique, with Abigail, Jake and Alyson; Tim (Kelly) with Brennan and Abby; Andy (MaryKay) with Christiana and Meredith; Bethany (Tom) and baby Thomas; Jennifer (Jeremy), Michelle; Jeff (Autumn) with Elijah, Tristan and Isabel; Chris and son Caleb; Daniel; Emily and son Ayden; Stephen; Nathan, and; Margo. The family suggests donations to Sue's causes: Breast Cancer Research c/o Susan G. Komen for the Cure P.O. Box 650309 Dallas, TX 75205-0369 and the Girl Scouts of Western Washington P.O. Box 770 Dupont, WA 98327. A memorial service will be held at Little Church on the Prairie, 6310 Motor Ave. SW, Lakewood, WA on Saturday, September 17, 2011 at 12noon. Arrangements by Mountain View Funeral Home.
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