Susan Carol Callicoat

She is survived by her beloved son, Ryan Callicoat and her four grandchildren, Noah Lange, Shelby Lange, Lauren Lange, Caden Callicoat, and her sister Judith Higgins.

She was predeceased by her beloved husband and love of her life, Gary Callicoat; her parents Beula Oyster and Fred Alumbaugh; and siblings, Lucille Parker, William F. Alumbaugh Jr, Jane Ann Beckley, James Lee Alumbaugh, Richard Alumbaugh, Donnie Alumbaugh, Judith Alumbaugh, Shirley Bunch, and Jerry Alumbaugh.

Susan was born the youngest of 10 children in Elwood, Indiana. As a child, Susan lost her parents at a very early age and being the youngest, it was decided by her siblings that it would be in her best interest to be placed under the care and comfort of the church where she could take the path of a Nun. However, life was meant to be much bigger for Susan who had a love and zest for life, people, and adventure.

Almost serendipitously, around the time when Susan was preparing to take her Nun Vows, life presented her with an opportunity to go outside the walls of the convent and experience the great big world. While she had every intention of returning to her convent, once Susan embarked on her trip, she never looked back. Instead, she created a rich and beautiful life including all of its ups and downs filled with love, family, friendship and God always at the forefront.

Susan loved beauty and arranging flowers was something that fueled her creativity and brought her tremendous joy. She would often find the most beautiful silk floral arrangements in bouquets throughout her home and in the weddings of loved ones. White roses were her favorite and they will always stand for the pure love she poured into the world. She also had a love for all animals. She loved wild horses and spent time in her 30s breaking them in and developed a small reputation for turning mustangs into champions. After a bad fall that left her unable to ride, she left the horse world and poured her love of animals towards stray cats; feeding and looking out for the kittens that came to her doorstep. She was their safe haven and was known to have food on hand for a kitten that was alone in the world and hungry.

Susan married the love of her life when she was in her 30s. They met when they were both working for a local Air Conditioning Company in Florida where Susan was the Office Manager and Gary was the newly hired technician. She often described him as “handsome, an honest businessman and a Prince among Men”. The sparks were instant, and she would often tell the story of meeting Gary as love at first sight.

It wasn’t long before Susan and Gary decided to marry. In 1984 they shared their wedding vows in a sweet at-home ceremony and began a 35 year, lifelong adventure of raising and co-parenting Susan’s beloved son, Ryan. It was a good life of turning their mobile home into a solid and strong dream home built to last generations, winning state BBQ pit competitions, gardening, and servicing the local community through their businesses Cally’s Sticky Bones BBQ and Able Air Conditioning.

Susan received her Doctorate in Divinity from Life in Christ Bible College and became an ordained minister, uniting couples in their divine unions. This was a role that carried great responsibility and that she performed with great love. It was impossible to know Susan and not see the love of the Lord shining through her.

In early 2000s, Susan and Gary helped a man named Daniel Moses start his ministry and it was through Susan’s support that Daniel became a minister in India and has since built his own church where he broadcasts all over the world to over 118 different countries. Helping Daniel with his ministry was one of the most important achievements in her life.

Susan was a strong and spirited woman with a generous heart for all. Her honesty, tenacity, strength, smile, wit and self-deprecating nature would charm the hearts of everyone who crossed her path no matter their age or station in life. She saw the light in everybody she met and always took care of those who needed a little extra watching over, with the eyes and care of a mother hen over its chicks. This was evident in how many people considered her like a mom over the years.

To know Susan was to love her. She was a regular at Cracker Barrel where she always took the time to talk and connect with each server and learn their name and their personal story. She was on a first name basis with everyone there and watching her dine in her regular spot felt like she was dining at a kitchen table with the southern hospitality of friends and neighbors who you could talk to like family. Susan’s greatest strength was spreading love to all she met so that each person felt better after having met her. Her love of the Lord was a beacon to all those in need.

Susan was a devoted mother to her son, Ryan. It was her greatest desire to see him happy. There were many days and nights filled with laughter and sometimes intense conversation but above all this bond between mother and son was unbreakable. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for him and she made sure all who knew her knew about her wonderful son.

When Gary passed away unexpectedly in 2019, Susan’s heart was broken and she was never quite the same after that. It was her heart that felt this loss the greatest and it was her broken heart that despite great efforts, united her with her beloved Gary in the end.

Goodbye Suzie, our steel magnolia. What a treasure it was to have you in our lives and to share our world. Though your beacon is now dimmed, the special memories you have left and the great things you have done will always live on. You will be forever missed.

A gathering with family and friends for Susan will be held Sunday, July 23, 2023 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Blount & Curry FH-Carrollwood, 3207 W Bearss Ave, Tampa, FL 33618, followed by a celebration of life from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM.