In Loving Memory of

Susan
Marie
Lewis

1960 - 2020

Susan’s Celebration of Life service was held Saturday, October 2, 2021 in Silverdale, Washington, at New Life Church.

Susan Marie Woodroof Lewis — by sister Lori Woodroof Horton

Susan Marie Lewis was born November 7, 1960 to her parents Bob and Dorothy Woodroof in Yakima, Washington, where she joined her three siblings Cecilie, Janelle and Gary. A few years later her family moved to Sedro Woolley, Washington, but not before she got two more siblings, Greg and Lori.

With five siblings now, Susan and her family moved to Aberdeen, Washington, where she and I shared a room, sleeping in bunk beds and playing paper dolls for hours at a time. She left me at home when she started kindergarten at Robert Gray Elementary, equipped with her box of crayons and a blue rest-rug. She loved school and adored her kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Wing. One day returning home from kindergarten, Susan found herself locked out of the house. Her mother was delayed getting home (probably doing some PTA volunteer work), so Susan sat down on the front porch and waited. While she sat, our elderly (and grouchy, scary) next-door neighbor lady, Mrs. Large, walked over and took Susan in to her home where she fed her homemade cookies fresh from the oven, and talked with her until our mom got home. Susan not only “survived” her afternoon with Mrs. Large, she had a wonderful time.

By the end of her elementary school days, Susan knew her career goal – to become a teacher. Perhaps it was simply to “be in charge” at that point, but whatever her motivations early on, she grew more certain of her nurturing heart and never wavered in her desire to teach children.

After elementary school, Susan attended Miller Junior High where she became a bob-kitten (the school’s mascot). School spirit was VERY high in our small town of Aberdeen and Susan was VERY spirited toward school, friends, family and her faith. She played softball and volleyball, loving the team spirit, being the team player. But Susan would only be a bob-kitten for 1 year because in 1973 her father took a new job as the superintendent of the Edmonds School District, which required moving the family from Aberdeen to Edmonds, just north of Seattle. So as an 8th grader, Susan became a Madrona Junior High Spartan (mascot) preparing to become a Woodway High School Warrior. She continued playing sports, but added in waitressing to earn money for college. She waitressed at the Lynwood IHOP for many years and would come home telling stories of the fun she had teasing with the other employees. I believe one employee named Dave along with his brother used to throw Susan in the dumpster after hours… and she would enjoy retaliating. That was typical of the comradery Susan shared with many of her friends, joking and teasing with gusto.

Another significant part of Susan’s teen years was her involvement with the youth group and church family of Kirkland Church of the Nazarene. The pastor, Paul Anderson, was also our god-father and a dear family friend; he also had been our pastor previously when we lived in Sedro Woolley (Susan’s toddler years) and now again during Susan’s teen years. If there ever was a “fan girl” for the Nazarene church and their missionaries, Susan was their front row cheerleader. She loved God, and loved helping spread God’s love throughout her life. She supported missionaries through her alabaster box, a paper ‘piggy bank’ used to collect funds to build hospitals and other buildings for the missionaries’ work all over the world, sharing that beautiful message of God’s love for all His children.

She graduated from Woodway High School in 1979 and headed straight to Northwest Nazarene College where she got her teaching degree in 1983 to fulfill her life-long dream to become a teacher. Her first teaching job was in Nampa, Idaho, where she rented a little white house and taught elementary students for one year, before moving to Hollywood, California, to teach in the Los Angeles School District for two years. She loved living in LA near her cousin Lori and teaching the inner city kids. She also loved the fast-pace life of the big city, renting a room one block off of Hollywood Blvd, with police helicopters flying over at night with their search lights blazing – such a contrast from quiet little Nampa. In 1986 when her father’s health declined in his battle with lymphoma cancer, Susan moved back to Washington to be near him in his final days.

When she moved back up to Washington, we shared an apartment in Kirkland, and the “sisters” became roommates once again, but no bunk beds AND we had separate bedrooms this time. We LOVED being young adults living together, travelling/cruising together, going to church and just hanging out together. However, we learned we did NOT like cooking together; her make-a-mess style and my clean-as-you-go style did not mesh well. But we DID love going to the state and county fairs together, where we’d listen to the country music band, The Shoppe, and browse at the vendor booths for the newest gadgets and gizmos, usually coming home with new “treasures” each year.

After two years living in Kirkland, we moved to a cute little rental house near Green Lake to be closer to our jobs. Susan taught in Seattle Public Schools, again loving the inner city children in her classroom each year. She’d come home filled with teacher stories sharing with me her joys and struggles to reach these precious little learners. While back in Washington, Susan completed her Master’s Degree in reading and language arts, and numerous certifications in various fields such as special education and ESL.

As each of you know, Susan’s long-time passion for Mariner baseball bordered on obsession; she listened to games on the radio, attended games at the Kingdome and then Safeco Field, where she began working as a gate host (aka: ticket-taker) for the new home of the Mariners, Safeco Field. A certain security guard kept appearing at whichever gate she worked, and thus an amazing journey began with Ron Lewis: naval shipyard worker by day, and Safeco Field security guard by night.

Before asking Susan out on their first date, Ron ran surveillance and collected “intel” in preparation for his approach with Susan. The results produced an amazing though somewhat brief courtship, and a beautiful marriage where Susan continued loving well. The marriage ceremony held July 5, 2002 was performed by our god-father, Paul Anderson, at Safeco Field (where the romance began) in two connected luxury suites where about 40 people squeezed in to celebrate with the happy couple… and where numerous of their co-workers roamed by to peek in on the wedding of their beloved gate host, Susan, and security guard, Ron. The wedding reception included a ballgame provided by the Mariners (Susan’s team) and the Minnesota Twins (her god-father’s team). The Mariner’s didn’t win that day, but Ron and Susan sure did!

During their nearly 18 years of marriage, Susan grew more and more in love with Ron. His extended family embraced Susan, who in turn loved them back with her unconditional love, of which everyone of us were constant recipients. The hundreds of students she taught over her 20+ years of teaching received this love as she shared life in and out of the classroom with them. Susan often went to her students’ recitals or sporting events, showing them how important they were to her.

Most recently, Susan worked at Vinland Elementary School for the North Kitsap School District where she LOVED working with her grade partners Terra, Kara, Heather, and Jessica. When Susan first discovered she had cancer in April 2018, her grade partners rose to new levels of support as Susan battled her leukemia. They lovingly cared for her needs at school and home; their group name became, “The Wonder Women of First Grade.” Thanks to amazing doctors and medical staff, Susan beat the cancer after a stem cell donation from her brother Gary.

Susan returned to teaching, with reluctant permission from her doctors who knew the demands (and germ exposure) of teaching, allowing it only because they could see it gave her so much joy, which is a key element of good health. Then just before Christmas 2019, Susan learned that she had developed a different, more aggressive form of leukemia. Susan and Ron were shocked because Susan was feeling so strong and good. Susan’s good health seemed to make this next round of chemo treatments go more smoothly. Her positive outlook and fighter-mentality gave us all encouragement as we supported her.

In February, Dr. Barr at SCCA called me to ask if I would be willing to come to Seattle and donate my stem cells for Susan. I was so excited to be able to help in this vital way, teasing her that I got to be the super-hero donor this time. In March, our sister Janelle moved in with Susan to be Susan’s caregiver for the recovery process that would follow the stem cell transplant. Then on Monday, March 10th, Susan experienced a sudden drop in energy and well-being. The next morning, Ron and Janelle took Susan to the ER at Harrison Hospital, where she was moved to ICU that evening. I flew in from Malaysia that day, and we received a phone call around 3:30 a.m. from the hospital saying to “come now.” I got in to be with Susan around 4 a.m. Wednesday morning. Susan was in a medically induced sleep so I never got to have a two-way conversation with her, but cherished my time by her bedside. I knew when the doctors didn’t make me wear a face mask or restrict me from holding Susan’s hand, that these were likely my final moments with my sister this side of Heaven.

After a few hours of family coming in and out of Susan’s room, the medical staff wanted only two family members at a time to be present. When it was my time, Ron and I took turns reading Scripture to Susan. Her pastor came in to talk and pray with us, making this special time even more blessed. As the results from her final blood draw came back with more bad news, the family gathered to sing hymns and share our last words of love to our beloved Susan. When the heart rate monitor numbers slowly dropped to zero beats per minute, we grieved our loss but knew she was rejoicing in her Savior’s arms with her new healthy heavenly body, experiencing no more pain or suffering.

Her life touched so many others all around the world, her love reaching so far and so deep in each of our lives here. She showed me unconditional love, was my strongest supporter, best friend and personal cheerleader. I will miss her greatly, but look forward to being reunited with her in heaven. Maybe we’ll even share a celestial mansion and be roommates again.

Eulogy by Sister Lori (Woodroof) Horton

Susan Marie Lewis — by husband Ron Lewis

I want to welcome all the family and friends who have traveled here today to celebrate Susan Marie Woodroof Lewis’ life. Thank you for being here. For a long time, Susan had been wanting me to write our story of how we met. On February 14, 2010, I sent Susan this email from Yokosuka, Japan. The following is a portion of that email:

A Home Run Season

2001 was a very good year. It was the year that the Mariners won 116 games which tied them with the 1906 Chicago Cubs for the most wins in a regular season. The Mariners batted .288 as a team which is also a record for the Mariners. The Mariners had 1637 hits and out of that, both Ichiro and Bret Boone both had over 200 hits apiece. Edgar Martinez was awarded the Silver Slugger Award and Jamie Moyer lead the team in pitching with 20 wins. Most notable about 2001, it was also the year that I met Susan.

I had hired on with the Mariners as a gate security guard in 2000. In 2001 I was given a supervisory position at Home Plate Gate. As supervisor I was allowed to move around from gate to gate. One of the best perks about the job was that I got to go to the ball park early. That allowed me the opportunity to watch many batting practice sessions prior to taking my station at Home Plate Gate. I remember as I was moving from gate to gate that there was this one lady gate host. She was cute and seemed to always have a smile on her face. She looked like she was loving being at Safeco Field. Early in June, I remember asking Bob, the Home Plate Gate Host Captain, about “that” girl. He told me that she was a school teacher and that she was one of his best workers at the gate. For some reason, I would play security guard at her gate more than others.

I remember in particular that there was this guy who worked for me who I had assigned to Susan’s gate. Later I noticed that they seemed to be getting along pretty good. Two things happened: 1. That was the last time that I assigned that guy to Susan’s gate, and 2. It got me thinking more about Susan. I remember that one time that I was looking at her and she caught me looking at her, and then she smiled. Well, that was it for me. I knew that I had to get to know Susan better.

I remember the ice breaker that I used to speak to Susan the first time. I had been able to grab a couple of foul balls from the Mariners batting practice that morning. From what I knew about Susan, I knew that she was a big fan of the Mariner’s third baseman, David Bell. So, I went up to her and told her that I had caught a couple of foul balls, one was from Edgar Martinez, and the other one was from David Bell. Would she like one of them? Well of course, she jumped at the David Bell ball. From that point on, we talked about anything and everything and we seem to have a lot of interests in common. I just plain liked being around her. I started taking my lunch breaks at the same time as Susan. Throughout the season, we would go to different parts of the ball park, eat our lunches and watch an inning or two of baseball before going back to Home Plate Gate. We discovered together that there are no bad seats at Safeco Field.

We were coming up to the All-Star break when Susan told me that she on a mission trip to Mexico for a week. Since the Mariners were out of town for a week, that meant it would be two weeks before I saw her again. Man, it turned out to be the two longest weeks of my life. Working the gates just didn’t seem to be as much fun without Susan around. Finally, Susan got back from the her missions trip to work the All-Star Game. She invited me to take a break with her and meet part of her family, her sister Lori, Lori’s husband Jon, and their daughter Kimberley. I met them in the upper bleachers on the third base side and we watched about an inning of the All-Star Game.

It was just after the All-Star break that I got up the nerve to ask Susan out that Friday night (The Mariners were out of town that weekend) The thing I remember Susan saying was that she couldn’t because she had to “wash” her hair. At least that was the way I remembered it. Susan later told me that what she really said was that she couldn’t because she had an appointment to get her hair cut or styled. I worked up my courage and I said, “ok, how about Saturday night?” She said yes and we went out on our first date on July 14, 2001. We went to a street party in Seattle near Alki Point. It was there we discovered that one other thing we had in common was our Nazarene roots. Susan told me of her life long passion with Jesus and I related how I went to a Nazarene Church in high school and had gone to Trevecca Nazarene College when I had considered college after high School. Susan and I found that it was really easy to talk to each other. We talked for hours and hours, and hours on that first date. We talked for so long that the police had to run us off the beach because it was so late.

Our second date was pretty memorable also. I met Susan over at her sisters Lori’s house as she was babysitting Kimberly. After Kimberly went to sleep we went to the basement to watch a movie. I had brought over the original Godzilla movie on a VCR tape. (Some of you parents can explain to your kids what that is after the Celebration) After we watched Godzilla movie, we watched Godzilla 2000. That was the night that Susan became a HUGE Godzilla fan. NOT!!! (a side note here… while we were married, when a Godzilla movie came out, Susan would ask, “We’re going to have to go see that one oo, aren’t we?”) But we had a great evening and we started dating regularly after that.

That season finally ended with the MARINERS winning 116 games, but our magic continued as we continued dating. In December, Susan went to her Happiest Place on Earth, Disneyland. It was the longest that we had gone without seeing each other since we had started dating. When she got back, I caught her in a weak moment, and asked her to marry me. She said yes and then we decided that we ought to get married at Safeco Field. We had 40 of our closest family and friends there to celebrate with us plus a sold-out crowd of 40,000 people. Even the Mariner Moose came by to say “Hi”.

So that was the story of how we met.

I want to relate a couple of anecdotes that would reflect about Susan’s life. I found a diary that Susan kept while she was on a three-month sabbatical in Australia and New Zealand a few years before we met. (Initially I thought it was one of her prayer books. You know, where you would write peoples names down and pray for them. She had a lot of those over the years.) While in the land down under Susan would read a chapter or two from Psalms and write down a particular passage from that day and what it meant to her. One day she worked on Psalm 19:14. “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight.” Susan spent quite a bit of time working and struggling with this scripture and I think it turned out to be a guidepost for her in the way she dealt with the world after she came back from her sabbatical. I have never known her in any circumstance where one could say that she did not apply Psalm 19:14 to her life.

Recently, as I was going through things that I wanted to put on the table for Susan’s Celebration, I came across one of Susan’s bibles. This one was a Bible that she gave herself while she was in Hollywood teaching there in the LA Unified School District: On the inside cover it reads: Presented to Susan Woodroof by the same on February 25, 1986 Pasadena California. On the opposite facing page she wrote: “Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the commitment to be faithful.” I can attest to that commitment. She met and loved people wherever they were at in their station of life. Prior to the time I had met her, Susan took time off from teaching to become a House Mother for unwed pregnant mothers in Seattle. After we were married, I was witness to Susan as the staunch defender of women who were in abusive relationships and/or from human trafficking. There was a small timeframe in our marriage where we sheltered children until they could be placed in a safe home with family. At one point we became licensed foster parents in the State of Washington. She loved our Church, community, her school, her fellow teachers, and the children. Susan wanted simply to be the Hands and Feet of Jesus.

On March 12, 2020, baseball stopped. That was a Thursday. Susan’s homegoing was the next day and then my life stopped. I think C.S. Lewis said it right when he said that “you never know how much you really believe in something until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.” At one point, I not only felt alone, but I had the most selfish thought that my life was starting all over again. It’s not that I started doubting God, but I just couldn’t hear him. In A Grief Observed, Lewis went on to write that “God has not been trying an experiment on my faith or love in order to find their quality. He knew it already. It was I who didn’t.” God was loving enough to give me what I needed to walk through this. What I think I have learned here nearly 19 months later is that I have come out on the other side with the realization that ours was a great friendship, a great love, and it was a great story. Now it is a time of great loss and grief. I just wished that we had had more time. And slowly I have come to the point where I can stand before you and tell you that not only am I not alone, but it is because of God’s grace that I get to go forward, carrying in my heart, all that Susan and I had and shared together. For that I am truly, truly grateful.

Here are some of the things that Susan taught me:

Always give your hair dresser, or barber, post man, and colleagues small gifts at Christmas—It’s a small way that you can show your appreciation for the people that you run across in your life
Put the blue socks and black socks in a different drawer
Sometimes our actions and words show some people the only version of Jesus that they will ever see
There is a formula for the Hallmark Christmas movies that never varies
It’s okay not to wrap gifts. Really nice gift bags work just as well
Holding a baby niece in your arms for the first time is the experience of a lifetime
Classical music is amazing
Time is one of the most precious and treasured gifts that you can give someone
Always keep a box of Kleenex in your truck
Clean your house before you go on a trip
A church should look like the community that it sits in
Football on New Year’s Day is da Bomb
Tip generously
It doesn’t hurt to see what’s under the carpet
Concerning running, as in all areas of life, it’s all about the Bling

Things that I will miss the most

I will miss her singing
Our never-ending conversations, inside jokes, and laughter
Friday Night Date Night
Barnes and Nobel date nights
Movie date nights
Movie date night in Lewis Theatre
Ok, any night was susceptible to be date night
The smell of Susan’s Peanut butter cookies baking in the oven
Watching deer together in our yard
Hanging out on the deck in the evenings with the Mariners on the radio in the background
Going to ballgames on the ferry
Watching Dr. Who together—Don’t Blink
Listening to Trans-Siberian Orchestra music with Susan and going to their concerts
Working on projects around the house together
Susan saying, “I Love you, Ron” every night before we went to sleep

Three ways that Susan saved my life:

Susan was the one who led me to Jesus
Susan was allergic to cigarette smoke
Susan insisted that the Doctor operate on me

(It was at this point that I discussed these three ways, but it’s not written down)

In December 2006, Dr. K. had given me a very grim cancer diagnosis. On the way back to Bremerton I decided that I needed to clean up my side of the street, just in case. I asked Susan, “Do you remember that David Bell foul ball that I gave you when we first met?” She said she did. “Well,” I said, “That foul ball may not have been from David Bell. I knew that you were a David Bell fan so I gave you a foul ball to break the ice. I do suppose it ‘could’ have been a David Bell foul ball.”

One of the movies that I took Susan to in our first year of dating was the Lord of the Rings. I couldn’t wait to see it with her. I remember when the closing scenes happened, and Frodo and Sam crossed the river, and Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli set off to go rescue the Hobbits Merry and Pippin. And then the credits rolls. I had forgotten to mention to Susan that it was a three-part movie. So, when the credits roll, Susan turns to me and says “What???” What’s going on?” I told her that there was going to be a part 2 and part 3. She asked when? I said next Christmas. She was incredulous. She could not believe I would take her to a movie that didn’t have an ending. However, she was incredibly supportive of my love of the Lord of the Rings saga and that brings me to this. In the movie, The Return of the King, there is the moment, when Pippin is standing on the battlement at Minas Tirith with Gandalf. All of the armies of Mordor have them surrounded. Pippin has no idea whether his friends are alive or dead, and it looks like he himself will not survive the coming battle.

Pippin Took: I didn’t think it would end this way

Gandalf the White: End. No the journey doesn’t end here. Death is just another path. One that we must all take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass… and then you see it.

Pippin: What? Gandalf? See what?

Gandalf: White shores… and beyond. A far green country, under a swift sunrise.

Pippin: Well, that isn’t too bad.

Gandalf: (Smiles) No. No, it isn’t.

Trish Hendrick : Her life touched so many. As a fellow teacher at Vinland it was a privilege to work with her and pray with her for the children we served. She was a true Wonder Woman. Thank you for giving me a glimpse into parts of her life I didn’t know. She is truly missed.

Becky Goessman : A precious child of God! She was an amazing lady. Thank you for sharing. Praying for you, Ron and the family. She will be missed.

Lisa Haley : What a beautiful tribute to your sister, Lori. I am so sorry, but we are a people who have hope and will see our loved ones again in Heaven someday. Love you, my friend. With much love and many prayers, Lisa Haley

Bob and Stacy Westfall : Thank you for capturing our beautiful Susan so well Lori. Sending our love to you all. Praying for you.

Alyce Abrams : What a beautiful tribute to Susan. Yes, she was a very caring person. So enjoyed her enthusiasm, wit, and smile but above these, her love for God. Susan was such a blessing. Thank you, Susan, for your friendship, it will always be treasured.

Shirley House : Thank you for posting that, Ron. Tell Lori that was beautiful. It made me start thinking of all the good times that our families have had together through the years. Love and prayers to all of you. ❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏

Laura Lyons : Thanks for sharing this, Uncle Ron, and thanks for writing it, Aunt Lori. Uncle Ron, I’m sad with you, and hoping you feel all the love surrounding you from God and others in the midst of grieving and taking one day at a time. ❤️

Jill Beal : I’m so thankful for all the lives Susan impacted along her wonderful journey. This eulogy was beautifully written and allows those who didn’t know her well to recognize her amazing value and the selfless contribution she offered to so many. She leaves behind a legacy of love that will continue to be a great comfort for all of us grieving her departure.

Linda May : This is lovely. Thank you for sharing it!

Terra Ezell : I am am grateful to have taught as a Wonder Woman with Susan. She was an amazing, kind soul . I miss her ❤️
Thank you for sharing her story!

Cyndi Andis : My journey with Sue (before she became Susan) began at Woodway High School and continued from there. Oh the joys and sorrows Sue and I have shared. Woodroofs and Lewises just added to the blessed journey. She is my eternal friend. I look forward to seeing her for eternity with Jesus! Love you, Sue!

P.S. Well done, Lori, on this amazing eulogy and thank you, Ron, for sharing it. ❤️🙏

Kathy Felix : She is an inspiration to so many, her spirit, her love for teaching, her love for Ron and family. she will be missed.

Karina Tuazon : So beautiful.

Heather Ben-Judah : To know Susan was a blessing and an honor. I can only hope I touched her life as she touched mine. Wonder women forever. I love you, Susan, and I will see you again. ❤️