Susan Whitehead Obituary

Susan Ellen Menaker Whitehead was born May 26, 1950 and raised in Harrisburg, PA as the middle daughter of Mortimer and Miriam (Goldstein) Menaker.
She earned a Bachelor's of Music from Penn State then a Masters in Audiology from University of North Carolina. In North Carolina she also earned a brown belt in Tae Kwon Do and found the love of her life Everett Whitehead who she married at the Special Forces Chapel at Fort Bragg on March 7th, 1981.
They moved out west where Sue fell in love with nature and had her son Conor in Flagstaff while living in Parks, AZ in 1981. They moved to Tucson for Ev to complete undergraduate degrees in Biology and Anthropology, and had their daughter Rebecca there in 1985.
Sue enjoyed a decade of raising her two children and exploring the wild areas where she lived including Saguaro Natl. Park, AZ; Gila Wilderness, NM; Bryce Canyon, UT; Gulf Islands Natl. Seashore, MS; and Mesa Verde Natl. Park before joining Southwest BOCES as an Audiologist in 1990. Sue helped many hundreds of students throughout the Four Corners with sign language, speech and reading through over 20 years with BOCES and as a contractor with BIE.
Sue's passion for education and nature were also exemplified by her service on the Southwest Open School Board and the Montezuma Climate Action Network. Sue developed a passion for health and wellness in the mid-nineties which she directed in recent years to her Wildflower Wellness bodywork business and participation in Musgotova Nuerosensorimotor Reflex Integration conferences throughout the country.
"Simma" Sue had many friends from parks, teaching, SBGA network, MNRI, M-CAN and much more. She passed away peacefully from breast cancer in her home near Mancos on February 7th surrounded by her loving family who were keeping her comfortable. She is survived by her husband, Everett; son Conor Whitehead (Stormy Fuller) of Twisp, WA; daughter Rebecca Samulski (Joseph;) and her grandsons Orin and Isaac of Dolores, CO; and her younger sister Carol Menaker (Jerry Thomas) of Nevada City, CA.
A celebration of Sue's life will be held in southwest Colorado Memorial Day weekend coinciding with her birthday.