Susan Eliason (Blakesley)  (1946 ~ 2022)

Suzy is loved in so many places around the world that I decided to post my little obituary for her on Facebook.  We would love anyone who wishes to do so to place any thoughts about or memories of Suzy in comments or to email them to me at chris.blakesley@unlv.edu

Susan Eliason Blakesley died peacefully, after a short but rough six-week ordeal with illness, on July 19, 2022.  She is survived by her husband, Chris, her daughter, Chantalle Blakesley, her daughter, Angelique Blakesley Knapp (Duane), her son, Christopher Blakesley (Leah), eight grandchildren, her sister Rae Eliason Fowler, and her sister, LeeAnn Eliason Longson (Lee), her brother-in-law, Jim Blakesley (Jane), her sister-in-law, Cathie Blakesley Davis (Scott).  She was preceded in death by her mother, Margaret Jacobs Eliason, her father, Verne Huntington Eliason, her father-in-law, Lee Blakesley, her mother-in-law, Alice Moselle Ralphs Blakesley, her grandson, Caedon Swift, her sister-in-law, Anne Blakesley Parry, and her brother-in-law, John Fowler.

Suzy is loved by everyone who knew her, from Salt Lake City, Boston, New York City, Washington, D.C., Paris, France, Aix-en-Provence, France, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Oxford, England, Salzburg, Austria, Innsbruck, Austria, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Elk Grove, California, Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada, as well as many working stays in Siracusa, Sicily, Budapest, Hungary, Freiburg-im-Breisgau, Germany, among others. Suzy was selfless, dignified, and unostentatious. She cared for those around her whether she knew them or not, quietly, privately, and lovingly.

Suzy was a devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Suzy was/is Chris's entire life, and his soul. She means everything to her family. Suzy and Chris were happy and content just being together during their fifty-four-year marriage, living abroad, traveling, reading, writing, running, watching sports together.  Losing Suzy for now has ripped us all to shreds, yet somehow when we despair, Suzy finds a way now to calm and comfort us.

Chris always thought she would outlive him.  When she had her stroke and fall, we all really thought she would recover, then doctors in the St. George hospital kept finding more things terribly wrong, which had been undiagnosed before.  Finally, her tiny body could handle no more.  Throughout her ordeal and especially in Hospice at Angel's house, Suzy, somehow through her silent and tortured ordeal, taught us each to cope and to breathe as she departed. She did this with her love and her power to care for and be with each of us, personally, even as she slipped out of her mortal shell. She was so tough to the end and concerned about us, not herself. She continues those lessons.

Our family will have a very simple, private, family memorial for Suzy when our Hurricane House is built.

Suzy, we love you so much!