Susan Barbara Kenney

1943 - 2023

Susan Barbara Kenney
May 14, 1943 - April 30, 2023
Nampa, Idaho - Mother: Doris L. Kenney
(mother and homemaker)
Father: Francis R. Kenney
(General Surgeon)
Survived by:
Giuseppe Saitta (husband)
Nancy Fitts (sister)
Jacqueline Tonna (sister)
Jordan Saitta (son)
Jennifer Maw (daughter)
and seven beautiful and precious grandchildren:
Jillian, Zachary, Kate, Xander, Gabriel, Jonah, and Reeve
Susan lived life as fully as it seems possible. She did much of what she most loved, as often as she was able. Her first loves as a girl were ballet, music, and reading. As a teenager she lived in New York City while she attended classes at the American School of Ballet, George Balanchine's famous center for American ballet.
After completing high school she moved to Vienna. Susan learned German in a hurry, and she was hired by the Vienna Institute for the History of Medicine, to translate records. She moved back to the U.S. and started the next series of work, and life experiences.
Susan was often spontaneous about career choices. Eventually those would include hotel clerking, sales at Bloomingdales in New York, modeling, TV time sales, several positions as secretary to corporate presidents, public relations at Levi Strauss, customer service at United Airlines, and many others.
During these years she met and married the brilliant, talented (and thankfully, equally eccentric!) Giuseppe Saitta, and they created colossal adventures together on his Moto Guzzi motorcycle, including a 3-month cross-country tour of the U.S. before settling down in California.
There is one other professional endeavor for Susan that deserves to be mentioned, which was her involvement with the Impact and Spectrum Trainings in Boise. As was her particular style, she experienced one of these trainings and was so impressed with the process that she left her United Airlines position and went to work for Impact as office manager, guest night presenter, and then Third Level trainer. These trainings, which included a challenging Ropes course, would nourish her need for connection and a sense of purpose more than any of her previous positions.
The satisfaction of helping people create value in their lives was undeniable, and she was pleased with her efforts to bring something different to Boise: Trance Dance and Soul Hunting with Wilbert Alix, Wah!, women's trainings, and other deeply rewarding experiences. Many of these relationships are still close after 3 decades.
In the later years of her life Susan and Giuseppe had the extraordinary opportunity to purchase a house right next door to their son and beloved daughter-in-law Angela, which meant being able to see three of her grandsons and connect closely with this part of the family on a regular basis. Although she always regretted not being closer to Jennifer and her family on the East Coast, it was a blessing to connect when they were able to be together. Family was life blood for her.
Her spirit will be missed, but her love for her special people will not fade. Deep in her soul consciousness are all of the precious relationships of her life, their depth, their brilliance, and their magic. If she were to ask something of those she leaves behind here on earth, it would be to love deeply, treasure their humanity, and be the change they wish for the world. Maybe they can remember, too, that there are no endings; there are only beginnings.
Her celebration of life will happen on Saturday, May 6, from 1-4pm, at 3610 S. Robinson Blvd, in Nampa.
In lieu of flowers, a donation to Susan's favorite charity is something she would have loved.
Susan supported Operation Smile for their life-changing surgeries given at no cost to help children with cleft conditions.
https://www.operationsmile.org/