Susan Beiswenger

Susan Adams Beiswenger passed away unexpectedly on June 14, 2018, at her home in Anchorage, Alaska.
Susan was born to Bruce and Ruth Adams on Dec. 12, 1953, in Anchorage. She attended elementary and middle school in Anchorage, while spending many of her summers at the family homestead on Butterfly Lake. In high school, Susan and her family moved to Liberia, Africa, due to her father's job with the U.S. State Department, and she graduated from the American Cooperative School in 1972. She had many fond memories of her time there, and was still close with many of her friends from Liberia when she passed. After graduation Susan moved back to Anchorage and attended the Univeristy of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), pursuing a degree in nursing. In 1976, Susan met her future husband, Allan, who was living in Bethel, Alaska, and working for the Public Defender's Office. Following her graduation from UAA in 1977, and after marrying Allan on Jan. 6, 1978, Susan moved to Bethel and began working as a nurse at the Bethel hospital. After their daughter Elizabeth was born in 1979, Susan and Allan moved to the island nation of Micronesia in the South Pacific, living on the island of Ponape. After Ponape, the family moved back to Alaska and settled in Soldotna, where they soon added sons David (1982) and Daniel (1987) to the family. For many years they lived on Tiny Lake, near the end of Mackey Lake Road, while raising their family in Soldotna. Later they moved closer to town, and had many good years at their house on Riverview overlooking the Kenai River. Throughout these years, Susan loved watching her children also spend time at the Butterfly Lake homestead with her parents, her brothers, sisters and the growing extended family.
Susan and Allan moved to Girdwood in 2000, and then to Anchorage in 2006 to be closer to their children and family. In 2008, Susan's first granddaughter Jenna was born and Susan became a dedicated and devoted grandmother. During her last years she was able to travel extensively throughout the world and the United States, and visited many of the places she had always wanted to see. She dedicated much of her time to helping care for Jenna, while also remaining politically active and supporting the causes she was passionate about. She was especially happy watching her granddaughter grow up at Butterfly Lake, just like the generations before her.
Susan was beloved by her children, her spouse, her granddaughter, her many pets and her extended family. She had a special relationship with almost everyone she knew, and she lived according to her most deeply held values: kindness and generosity. She always stood up for the underdog, and did not tolerate bigotry, racism, bullying, or exclusion of any kind. She was a devoted Democrat, and was a fierce and passionate critic of the current administration.
Susan is survived by her husband, Allan; her children, Elizabeth Shea, David Beiswenger and Daniel Beiswenger; granddaughter, Jenna Shea; sister, Mary Adams; brother, Dr. Peter Adams; daughter-in-law, Andrea Beiswenger; son-in-law, Jason Shea; her many nieces and nephews; cousins; in-laws; and dear friends. Susan will have a ceremony and her ashes scattered among those of her parents; her brother, Samuel; other family members; and various pets in the family graveyard on Butterfly Lake.