Susan Joan Smith

Minnetonka, MN - Susan "Sue" Joan (Rogness) Smith, 79, passed away with her daughters by her side on Monday, November 3, 2025 at her home in Minnetonka, Minnesota after a three-year battle with ocular melanoma. Sue was born on October 24, 1946 in Minneapolis to Clara and Herbert Rogness. She was a dancer and a go-getter from day one. Sue graduated in 1964 from St. Louis Park High School, where she was a proud member of the famous St. Louis Park Parkettes danceline. She earned her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from the University of Minnesota in 1968 and went on to teach second grade at Countryside Elementary in Edina until her two daughters, Stacy and Carrie, were born. In 1981, after spending a couple of years at home with her girls, Sue started a new career as a Travel Sales Director at BI Worldwide, where she worked for 33 years until her retirement in 2014. In retirement, Sue traveled, shopped, danced, and socialized with close friends, but more than anything, she loved spending time in her role as "Mama Sue" to her kids and their friends, and as "Gaga" to her four beloved grandchildren.
At any age, Sue was a woman you noticed when she walked into a room: a tall, lithe redhead who always wore a perfectly elegant or stylish outfit (even to the grocery store at 7 am!) and who was always eager to say "hello" with a warm smile and/or a sarcastic opener. She absolutely loved being around people, whether she was with her favorite co-workers at lunch or happy hour, her cherished circle of lifelong friends at her weekly card game or shopping outings, her loving family at her house (of 54 years!) on York Lane for Easter or Christmas Eve, or her daughters and grandkids for Sunday dinner or casual hangouts. She loved her friends and family more than words can say.
Sue was caring, thoughtful, witty, funny, independent, resilient, and deeply devoted to her family and friends, but above all, she was the ultimate mother and grandmother. We were so lucky to have her in our lives and we will miss her so very much.
She is survived by her children, Stacy (Mark) Swenson and Carrie Lambert; her former son-in-law, Louis Lambert; grandchildren, Sofia and Louis Lambert Jr., and Svea and Evelyn Swenson; her brother-in-law, Ronald Wilkinson; her nephews, Chad (Molly) Wilkinson and Todd Wilkinson; her niece, Jolynn Wilkinson; and countless friends around the globe. Sue was predeceased by her parents, Clara and Herbert Rogness, and her sister, Karen Wilkinson.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis on Wednesday, December 3rd at 11 am, followed by a lunch reception at the church. We will then be gathering in true "Sue Style" that day at 2:00 pm at Hilltop Edina for martinis and apps, stories and toasts. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Ocular Melanoma Foundation (ocularmelanoma.org) or Breakthrough Type 1 Diabetes of Minnesota (breakthrought1d.org).