Susan Arlene Weeks' Obituary
Susan Arlene (Henrie) Weeks was born April 2, 1960 in Ogden, Utah to Bill and Barbara Henrie. She was fourth of seven children, Marshall, Jayne Ann, Billy (Bill, but he was always Billy to Susan), Susan, Carolyn, Jill, and Brian. She came in a unique place in the order, youngest of the first bunch of kids, oldest of the next bunch.
She graduated from Ogden High School in 1978. After she graduated, she got a government job that took her around the country, including Texas, Florida, White Sands, and Hill Field. She had a Top Secret clearance and many interesting stories to tell.
She had 2 practice marriages, and in the second she found the first big love of her life, her son Brian. Susan and Brian had an unusually close bond that lasted all her life. Despite the typical mother/son parenting issues, and the fact that Brian’s job takes him far away, they stayed close and talked almost every day. When Brian needed a college degree for his career, Susan went back to college with him. She earned an Associate’s degree from Weber State in her 50s. She was always proud of that, and rightfully so. She always joked that she loved learning so much that it took her 32 years to get her 2-year degree.
Susan met the second love of her life in 2004, Eric (me). How she ever looked past the first date I’ll never know. I nearly got her killed several times in a hobby called letterboxing. I was 43, never married, socially awkward with the knack for saying or doing exactly the wrong thing. But somehow she saw past that. We always said that had we met in our 20’s or 30’s, we never would have worked. But with a few miles on us, we worked. We married in 2005. We had a few rough spots, like most marriages, but with love, compromise and realistic expectations, we made it work.
The third and fourth great loves of her life were her grandchildren, Hannah and Jaxon. She was so thrilled that she got to see Hannah learn to ride a bike without training wheels, and that Jaxon loves his magnetic bricks.
I don’t want to detail all her health issues (and there were many), because to do so would make her a victim, and anyone who knew her knows she was never a victim. (We joked that between her and her siblings, they were trying to work through all the diseases known to man.) But in brief, she developed Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma in her left breast in the mid 90’s. She had a lumpectomy and eventually a mastectomy in 2005. (Yes, this was the year we got married – mastectomy in the spring, wedding in the fall. I always thought she should write an article about it with the first line “This should be the happiest day of my life, so why am I so sad?” which would detail her search for a wedding dress that would fit over her reconstructive surgery. Spoiler alert: it worked out.) The ACC metastasized to her lungs in 2007. After a few years of watch and wait, we found a chemotherapy that kept her tumors in check for 6 years. After that, we tried a few things, but Susan was weary of fighting it for so long, and there really was no other viable treatment, so we let it run its course. The end of her earthly story came on June 18, 2019 under a full Strawberry moon. She passed away in her sleep, free from pain at last.
Susan said that she’d come back to haunt me if I said she fought a “courageous” battle. But what other word is there? She fought for over 20 years a disease that usually takes someone in less than five. She had more medicines than a pharmacy. And she did it mostly by herself, without involving me more than she had to. When we were in New Orleans last fall (our last vacation), she walked nearly 2 miles down Bourbon Street with a pulled thigh muscle, bruises over her entire left leg, shortness of breath, and painful neuropathy in both feet, and never complained. So I guess you’ll have to haunt me Susan, because I think you’re courageous.
Some things that Susan loved especially well: Brian. Eric. Hannah. Jaxon. Lighthouses. Oregon. Sue Grafton. Jimmy Buffett. Manatees. Carl Hiaasen. The New York Giants. Hillary. MASH. Murder, She Wrote. The Price is Right (except those jerks who bid a dollar over). Wine. Drinking Bloody Marys, while reading the Sunday newspapers and watching Scooby Doo. Myrtle wood. Dolphins. Beaches. Her father. Classic movies. Nick and Nora. Doris Day. Cary Grant. Humphrey Bogart. Alfred Hitchcock. Love, Actually. Spaced Invaders. Emmet Otter. A nice Chardonnay. A Moscow Mule. Our vacations: Oregon coast, Santa Barbara/Solvang/Monterrey/San Francisco, The Mission Trails in Texas and California, Napa Valley, Tahiti, a train ride across Canada, and maybe Norway. Weekend getaways. The Shakespearean Festival. Iggy’s. Whataburger. Soft jazz. Earl Klugh. Blue Collar comedy. Toby Keith. Golf. Sam Elliott. The Big Bang Theory.
It’s impossible to sum up in a few words what Susan was, or accomplished, or meant to others. I guess what matters is that she will be remembered. With love, laughter, happiness, pride, and respect. We are better for having known her. We will really miss her.
Surviving Susan are her siblings, Marshall, Jayne Ann, Billy, Carolyn, Jill, and Brian; her son Brian; daughter-in-law Megan; two wonderful grandchildren Hannah and Jaxon; nieces and nephews too numerous to name, and a large group of extended family and friends. Condolences to all her friends and family and the good people at Corbett Canyon for their inevitable loss of income. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the American Cancer Society would be appreciated. Or a site devoted especially to ACC, like www.accoi.org or www.accrf.org.
A wake will be held in her honor to celebrate her life, from 12:00 noon to 5:00 PM on Saturday, July 6, at the Reception Room at Eaglewood Golf Course, 1110 E Eaglewood Dr., North Salt Lake. Susan spent many happy hours there, and Eric spent many hours there looking for lost balls. Toasts will begin at 1:00. Bring a happy memory, a favorite saying of hers, a funny story, or just how you feel. Dress comfortably. But you’re welcome to visit any time during those hours.
What’s your fondest memory of Susan ?
What’s a lesson you learned from Susan ?
Share a story where Susan 's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Susan you’ll never forget.
How did Susan make you smile?