SUZANNE KATE HOYT

Suzanne "Zannie" Kate Hoyt August 13, 1934- June 11, 2010 Our beloved Zannie, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, mentor, benefactor, and friend peacefully passed away, Friday June 11, 2010 at her home in Scottsdale, Arizona. Our hearts are broken, we will miss her deeply, but we are comforted in knowing that she has been welcomed into the gentle embrace of her beloved family members and friends. Born to Anna Orcutt and Henry Hamilton Hoyt, of South Orange, New Jersey, on August 13, 1934, Zannie was born into a family of two boys, her brothers Harry and Charles "Buddy". Zannie relished the attention she received as the only girl in the family but her heart always led her towards the less traditional. She especially enjoyed playing baseball (short stop), sailing, and horseback riding. At five years old Zannie began her love of horses and horseback riding and soon won her first horse event. When Zannie was 12 years old, her grandmother Kate Good Ocutt gave her Grey Lady, Zannie's first horse. With the loving care, attention and friendship of Lloyd Pryor, an honored family friend, Zannie became an accomplished rider, winning many equestrian events and even qualifying for the Olympics. In later years, Zannie described her special relationship with Lloyd in these words: "It was Lloyd who taught me to be a gracious and thoughtful winner"…and "how to accept defeat without being overwhelmed by it". In Zannie's family, education was always of the utmost importance. It was with this in mind that she attended the Beard School for Girls during her high school years. Although Zannie might not describe herself this way, she was a leader among her peers, serving as class president from her freshman through her senior year. During her senior year, Zannie was chosen to represent her high school at a national Presbyterian Youth Conference where she met her soon to be life long friends and mentors, Dr. Clifford Barbour and his lovely wife, Betty Barbour. The Barbour family as well as their mutual friends from Pittsburgh including the family of Fred Rogers (Mr. Roger's Neighborhood) helped instill in Zannie a powerful life lesson: That the greatest good in life comes from the service to others regardless of ethnicity, culture, religion or financial status. Upon graduating from high school Zannie had to choose between her horsemanship and college. Recognizing the value of a college education and with the advice of her father she chose to attend Mount Holyoke College. Although focusing on her education Zannie never abandoned her love for horses and the out-of-doors. During her first year at college Zannie met Bob Weil, an Amherst College undergraduate. After several years of dating they were married in 1955. Upon graduation they moved to Bob's home town of St Louis, Missouri. During the four years they spent in St Louis three of Zannie's four children were born: Kate, Linda, and Rob. Feeling the confines of life in the city and seeking a fresh new adventure Zannie and Bob explored the southwest United States for inspiration and opportunity. In 1960, Zannie and Bob decided to move to Santa Fe, New Mexico to try their hand at cattle ranching. They purchased the old Buckman Ranch that today is known as the Santa Fe Ranch. As a rancher, Zannie could again enjoy her horses and ride to her heart's content. In her own words she described the ranch as "overwhelming….and gorgeous". "The ranch taught me to love, admire and appreciate God's world." This wonderfully, special place is where they chose to raise their family. Soon after arriving, Elizabeth "Betsie" was welcomed into the family. While ranching and raising children Zannie felt another calling, a calling to give back to her new community of Santa Fe. She first volunteered at St. Vincent Hospital but soon found her niche at the Maternal and Child Health Center. Zannie worked her way onto the Board of Directors and quickly became President. Her nineteen years with the MCHC gave her the opportunity to lend her leadership skills and express her generosity to a community that she loved. However, Zannie's community involvement did not stop there. As the years followed Zannie gave freely of her time, wisdom, and resources to many of Santa Fe's venerable non-profit organizations. Zannie served on the Board of Directors of the Acequia Madre PTA, the School of American Research, the Santa Fe Chamber Music, the Santa Fe Boys Club, Santa Fe Planned Parenthood, New Mexico Children's Foundation, and the Santa Fe Community Foundation. Over the years it had always been Zannie's desire to make long lasting contributions to the health and well being of her community. Early on she discovered that in order to secure permanent change she had to get involve in the realm of policy making. In 1968, with a little trepidation Zannie launched her first effort into the New Mexico political scene by volunteering for Bruce King's campaign for governor. Over the years Zannie served on a number of governmental advisory boards and commissions dealing with issues of property tax assistance, range improvement, land use, landfill placement, transportation and road building as well as public safety. Affordable housing in Santa Fe County was a cause near and dear to Zannie. She fought hard for property tax relief for those who faced the loss of their homes due to ever escalating property values. Zannie did not just speak of the need for affordable housing, she made it happen for a number of local families. Backing up her own words Zannie funded the Property Tax Assistance Fund at the Santa Fe Community Foundation and she donated the land for 50 home sites known as Old Las Vegas Place to HomeWise to provide affordable housing to families in need. Although Zannie loved the "fight" in the political world she recognized that for many Santa Feans a good education was the foundation needed for future success. Knowing how difficult it might be for some families, Zannie funded the Simmons Scholarship Fund at the Santa Fe Community College, the Christian Brothers Scholarship Fund at the College of Santa Fe and the Golden Apple Scholarship Fund. In recognition of Zannie's dedication towards providing quality educational opportunities, Zannie was elected to the Board of Directors of the College of Santa Fe and served for four years as the College's first female President of the Board. During her tenure, Zannie developed a strong and deep friendship with the Christian Brothers that lasted her life time. In 1988, the College of Santa Fe honored Zannie's service by awarding her an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters Degree. Over the years Zannie received other recognition for her contributions to her community. In 1991, Zannie was honored by the Santa Fe New Mexican Newspaper as "One of Ten Who Make Santa Fe a Better Place" and in 1998, she was awarded the "Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year" by the National Society of Fund Raising Executives, but she was most proud of the Honorary Doctorate of Law bestowed on her by New Mexico State University in 1995. In the early 1970's as Santa Fe began its real estate boon, Zannie, Bob and her family began to sub-divide the front portions of their ranch for a new sub-division called La Tierra which later included La Tierra Nueva, La Tierra Oro and La Tierra Salvo. This new endeavor was one of the first environmentally sensitive developments in New Mexico and has been used as a model ever since. The real estate business was very successful and in the late 1980's the business and the remaining land was purchased by Lyle Anderson for his Las Companas developments. Although a major portion of the ranch was sold, Zannie and her second husband Joe Eloy Garcia continued to raise cattle on the back sections of the ranch until 1999 when Zannie donated her right to g