Susan (Sue) Marie Summers passed away from complications of COVID-19 on Dec. 6, 2021, in Vancouver, Washington. Sue was born on March 20, 1947, in Seattle, Washington, to Oscar and Elva Westford.
Raised in the north end of Seattle, she graduated from the then recently opened Nathan Hale High School. One of her high school highlights was playing the violin in the Seattle All-City Orchestra in 1965. She went on to attend Shoreline Community College and Western Washington State College (now University), graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish.
After initially doing some substitute teaching, Sue found a full-time job teaching Spanish and English at Battle Ground High School. Though she had never heard of Battle Ground before moving there in 1970, she would call it home for the rest of her life. At BGHS, Sue met a fellow Seattle native, math teacher Dean Summers, and the two soon began dating. Dean and Sue married in 1975. Five years later, when their daughter Kate was born, Sue left her teaching career to be a stay-at-home mom. The family welcomed two more children, Scott (1982) and Julie (1988).
Once the kids were older, Sue began subbing again part time and taught a Spanish class for homeschool students. Sue's Christian faith was central to her life. She was a long-time member of Battle Ground Baptist Church and was involved in multiple ministries during her many years there, including a stint as head of women’s ministries.
Another important aspect of her life was her Icelandic heritage. Her paternal grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Iceland in the late 1800s, and she had memories of hearing her father speak Icelandic with his parents and siblings. In 2015, Sue traveled to Iceland and got to see old family farms.
Sue enjoyed various hobbies over the years, ranging from selling Discovery Toys to quilting. More recently, she was drawn to memoir writing. Over the past year, she self-published two collections of personal essays. Sue was a cat lover and had many beloved cats over the years. She also enjoyed spending time at the family’s vacation home on Lopez Island.
Sue is survived by her husband Dean; children Kate, Scott, and Julie (Jan Kowalewski); and younger sisters Cindy Novion and Jan Germann. The funeral home is Layne's Funeral Home, and a memorial service will be held on March 19, 2022, at Battle Ground Baptist Church.
