Sue Elsa McChesney Decker

1940 - 2023

Sue Elsa McChesney Decker was a woman of wit, character, and heart. She left her family on October 14, 2023, content and ready to pass on. She was born on March 24, 1940 to Arthur Reinhart and Louise McNatt Reinhart and spent much of her childhood in Klamath Falls, Oregon. When she was 10 her mother died in childbirth. Sue was an outgoing girl with many friends. She spent her high school years in a body cast due to scoliosis. She graduated from Acalanes high school in Lafayette. She went on to college at UC Davis and UC Berkeley, a proud Cal Bear like her mother. She taught elementary school on Kodiak Island, Alaska, in 1964 when a 9.2 earthquake hit, causing a tidal wave and extensive damage. Decades later she would say the Loma Prieta earthquake "was not the worst earthquake I've been through." She married Bruce James McChesney and they started their family when she was widowed in a sudden violent act. She raised her girls and earned a Master's in marriage family and child counseling. She married Paul Decker in 1978 and moved to Napa in 1980. She was an avid gardener and loved to make the holidays beautiful. She worked in mental health, building a private practice that helped adults and children to live better lives. She was sensitive and curious; a safe person to share yourself with. After her retirement, she was a caretaker for her husband and an enthusiastic Nonnie to her grandchildren. She traveled throughout the United States, to the UK, Europe, and Mexico. In her later years she became more politically engaged, and made many close friends in her book club. She volunteered with the Napa County library's literacy program, adopting her student into her heart. She was a cat lover to the end (Mr. Nifty was her favorite). She leaves behind her daughters and their families, Kelly Decker (Erik Harvey, Carl Harvey, Aidan and Ashley Harvey) and Jill Applegate (Charles and Tim Applegate), extended family and her dear friend Alejandro Canseco, and her cat, Dolly.

There will be a memorial service on December 9, 2023 at the Napa Women's Club from 2 to 5 p.m. In lieu of flowers, Sue would be delighted if you would donate to Compassion & Choices, dedicated to expanding the rights and options for the end of life. (P.O. Box 485, Etna, NH 03750)