Florence "Sue" Marie Lyon

Florence (Suzie) Marie Lyon, 90, passed suddenly from this life Sunday morning September 10, 2017. Funeral services will be held Friday morning September 15 at 11:00 AM at McGilley State Line Chapel, 12301 State Line Road, Kansas City, MO. Entombment will follow at Resurrection Cemetery.

Suzie was born on January 11, 1927, the middle child of Samuel and Marie Golden. She attended Sinai Elementary, Mount St. Scholastica Academy, and Ward High School. She graduated from The St. Mary’s Hospital Nursing Program (KC, MO) as an RN at the age of 20. She married her high school sweetheart, the late Donald F. Lyon, on May 13, 1950. Don and Suzie moved to Overland Park, where they raised three sons, Michael, Timothy, and Kevin. Suzie worked many years as an RN, first at KU Medical Center, and later at Providence Hospital, but for the majority of her career she served as a Public Health Nurse with the Johnson County, Kansas Health Department, working in Women’s Health clinics and providing home visits throughout the county, caring for the disadvantaged and infirm. She was loved by her patients, who knew her affectionately as “Nurse Suzie”.

Suzie lived a simple life, was an avid reader, and lover of poetry. She had a keen memory, and would recite poems verbatim to illustrate some teaching point or principle to her young sons. She was also a great lover of animals, including her cat Betty, and her home was residence for various dogs, cats, and other creatures. She was proud of her Irish and Slovenian family heritage, and spoke often of the struggles of her childhood, growing up during the Depression on a subsistence farm without indoor plumbing or electricity.

Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 60 years, brother George Golden, sister Jean Walker, and son Donald Francis Lyon. She is survived by her three sons and four grandsons, Daniel, Marc, Christopher, and Ian Lyon; daughters-in-law Nancy Oliva (Michael), Brenda Lyon (Timothy), Patricia Lyon (Kevin); twelve nieces and nephews; and lifelong friend and nursing school classmate Jo Bux.

The family is grateful for the help and friendship of Kathy Donnegan, who provided independent living support for Suzie.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Suzie’s memory to animal shelter Wayside Waifs of Kansas City, 3901 Martha Truman Rd., Kansas City, MO 64137: www.waysidewaifs.org.