Our beloved Susan went home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Thursday, March 15, 2007 after a courageous battle with cancer. Susan was the daughter of Bruce and Cherie Miller and was born on March 31, 1952 in McMinnville, OR.
She moved frequently during her childhood and attended grade schools and high schools in Anchorage, AK, Kent, WA, and Burlington, WA. Susan graduated from Burlington-Edison High School (1970) and the University of Washington (1974).
She had a love for music and had numerous private students that she taught piano, guitar, voice and various other instruments to over the past 25 years. She also had been a music educator at Mount Vernon Christian School during her career teaching Kindergarten through 12th graders voice, music theory, and all instruments in the orchestra. Susan loved teaching children whether in music, art or the Bible.
Susan was the founder and director of Carry the Light Ministries, a non-profit organization focused on music and the arts amongst the other charitable activities in the community that impacted many. For ten years she was the director of Child Evangelism Fellowship for Skagit, Island, and San Juan Counties. She was undoubtedly a very outgoing, talented and driven woman. Susan had also recently discovered water color painting in the past few years and had held several private showings of her works in her private studio. She was also a certified Medical Transcriptionist for several local medical practitioners in the Skagit Valley.
Her favorite pastime, however, was to spend time with her family and friends at the numerous beaches in the area. She loved hiking the trails and collecting seashells around Samish Island as a memory of her day. Her other hobby was riding her bicycle for exercise at the various parks in the county. She was a devoted mother, daughter, and sister who will be greatly missed by her friends and family.
Susan was preceded in death by her father, Bruce Miller. She is survived by her mother, Cherie Miller Freeman; stepfather Bud Freeman; 3 children: Dustin (& Lisa) DeVries of Montgomery, Texas; Devon (& Becki) DeVries of Freeland, WA; Darby DeVries of Corpus Christi, TX; grandchild Reegan DeVries (daughter of Devon and Becki); sister Shawn Nyman; brother Greg (& Teresa) Miller; aunts: Gladys Lee, Winnie Martin and June Shepherd; and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family would also like to give special thanks to the Doctors, Nurses and Staff at the Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center in Mt. Vernon and the Skagit Valley Hospice Nurses and Staff. All are special people who cared dearly for Susan.
A private family graveside service will be held on Wednesday, March 21st at Hawthorne Funeral Home and Memorial Park in Mt. Vernon. Condolences to the family may be sent to Cherie Freeman, 15822 McLean Rd., Mt.Vernon, WA 98273. Memorials in Susan's name are suggested to the American Cancer Society, 728 134th St. S.W., Suite 101, Everett, WA 98204 or to Skagit Valley Hospice, P.O. Box 1376, Mt. Vernon, WA 98273.
Arrangements are under the care of Hawthorne Funeral Home and Memorial Park, Mt. Vernon, WA. You may share your memories of Susan, and sign her online guest register at www.hawthornefh.com
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