Susan Pearl Collins

Her childhood was spent on Beacon Hill where she remembered watching airplanes taking off from Boeing Field. In 1958 she graduated from South Eugene High School in Oregon, moved back to Washington and lived in Tumwater and Kent. In later years she lived in Newport and Ritzville, WA. She moved back “home” to Seattle in 1987 and subsequently retired from the Port of Seattle.

Susan loved sewing, history, traveling, and drives in the country. She enjoyed picking huckleberries, raspberries and strawberries. Susan was a great cook, and as the mother of five children, she made sure the cookie jar was always full and no one went away hungry. For her children’s birthdays she made "cut-up" cakes designed to reflect their interests: bunnies, trains, princesses, race cars and Snoopy. She had a green thumb and would plant beautiful flower gardens in spring and summer. She couldn’t resist tucking in vegetable seeds amongst the bountiful blooms, just to see what would come up.

She had an incredible memory and could remember names of friends, neighbors, and total strangers that she met throughout the years. Many people who knew her say she is the kindest, most giving person they have ever known.

To Susan, family was the most important thing. Her love lives on in her sons Kevin and Kameron Lawson; daughters Shannon (Wayne), Sheila (Jeffrey) May and Shelly (James); grandchildren Marissa (Derek), Alyson (Chris), Madeline and Connor; great-grandchildren Elsa and Benjamin; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Her family wishes to thank the outstanding medical team at Multicare Tacoma General Hospital for their compassionate guidance and care during the last days of Susan’s life.

Susan’s ashes will be interred in the Rose Garden at Forest Lawn Cemetery in West Seattle, next to her sister Dorothy Peace and near their mother and grandfather. Brothers Art Jr. and Donald Furtwangler, and niece Connie Rezendes also preceded Susan in death. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the American Kidney Fund or the charity of your choice.