Susan Diane Smeeton, 80, of Amelia Island, FL, passed away peacefully on June 6, 2021, at Community Hospice Jane and Bill Warner Center for Caring, surrounded by Tom, her devoted husband of 58 years, and their five children.
A Pacific Northwest native, Susan was born on November 19, 1940, to Roland and Charlotte Tollefson. After graduating from historic Stadium High School in Tacoma, Washington, she attended the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma and the University of Washington in Seattle. Known for her infectious personality and communication skills, she worked for a Seattle-based telephone company and received an award as its top sales representative.
Fate took a turn in the fall of 1961 when Tom’s army reserve unit was sent to Ft. Lewis, Washington, as part of President Kennedy’s mobilization in response to the Berlin Wall crisis. Susan and Tom met in a chance encounter and after a brief, whirlwind courtship, they married on February 23, 1963. They moved to northern Virginia where they began their life together and were blessed with five children.
Susan never met a stranger and lit up every room with her smile and boundless energy. Blessed with a beautiful voice, she was a member of numerous choral groups and led the youth program at Holy Spirit Catholic Church for many years. Whether it was an outreach ministry in an underserved community or lending a hand to someone in need, Susan always found time to help the less fortunate and instilled that in her children.
Susan and Tom moved to Amelia Island in 1999, and embraced their golden years filled with travel, volunteerism, and cherished time with their children and grandchildren.
Susan is predeceased by her parents and her brother David, and survived by her loving husband Tom, their children, Sean Roland of Baltimore, MD, Timothy Brooks (Kristi) of Virginia Beach, VA, Shannon Marie of Orlando, FL, Brendan Thomas (Jennifer), of Winston-Salem, NC, Colin Keith (Danielle), of Pacific Palisades, CA, and 12 grandchildren, Diana, Jacob, Nicholas, Samantha, Carter, Molly, Baylee, Kenzie, Quinn, Sophie, Olivia and Ruby.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, followed by a burial at Jacksonville National Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Tuesday, June 15, 2021, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. (vigil service at 7:00 p.m.), at Oxley-Heard Funeral Home, 1305 Atlantic Avenue, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034.
Donations may be made in Susan’s memory to the Nassau County Council on Aging or St. Michael Academy, where Susan served on the Board of Directors of both organizations for many years.