Susan Elizabeth Ellis

In Loving Memory of — Susan Elizabeth Ellis

Susan "Susie" Elizabeth Ellis, 77, passed away unexpectedly at her home at Twin Lakes, Idaho on October 29, 2026. 

Susie was born on April 16, 1949, in Spokane, Washington to Gordon and Shirley Richardson. She joined older brothers Gordon Jr. and Brian.

Susie was raised on North Coleman Road in Spokane Valley's Orchard Park neighborhood. She attended schools within the West Valley School District and graduated as a proud "Eagle" in 1967. She continued her education at Mackinac College on Mackinac Island, Michigan, then transferred to the University of Washington in Seattle. While studying, she supported efforts to address the era's pressing economic and social issues. After earning her sociology degree, she returned to Spokane Valley.

Over the next few years, various jobs in the community led Susie to discover a passion for teaching. She earned a degree in elementary education at Eastern Washington University and returned to the West Valley School District in 1973 to teach elementary school. An interest in guidance counseling later prompted her to return to college for a master's degree and become a student guidance counselor. She completed her thirty-year career in education as the guidance counselor at Spokane Valley High School.

Susie married her lifelong friend and partner, Don Ellis, on August 19, 1976, in Reno, Nevada. The couple settled in Spokane Valley, where Don served as a Firefighter with the Spokane Valley Fire Department.

For most of their working years, Susie and Don spent winters at their Spokane Valley home. During vacations and time off, they enjoyed countless hours of snowmobiling with friends and acquaintances in the forests of the northwestern United States. Summers at their Twin Lakes cabin brought sunshine, boating, water skiing, and gatherings on the deck or around the fire pit. In the fall of they from the cabin to the perfect house on the lower lake, making Twin Lakes their year-round home.

After retiring in 2003, Susie built a winter home with Don in the foothills of Yuma, Arizona, where she enjoyed the Sonoran Desert's sunshine and blue skies. Their home a gathering place for new friends and a welcoming retreat for family and friends seeking respite from winter. When Susie passed away, she and Don were preparing for their annual pilgramage to Yuma.

Susan Elizabeth Ellis was a passionate advocate with a strong sense of right and wrong. She championed social equity and wholeheartedly supported the Democratic Party, its candidates, and its policies. Dedicated to preserving Twin Lakes, she served for many years as an officer of the Twin Lakes Improvement Association.

Susie could always be counted on for lively conversation, candor, and heartfelt advice. Her compassionate listening and enduring grace were hallmarks of her character. At just five feet tall, she was a formidable presence, fiercely devoted to her friends, family, and students.

Susie's survivors include her husband of fifty years, Don, who remains at their home; her brother, Brian Richardson, of Okanogan, Washington; her sister-in-law, Carol Ellis, of Spokane, Washington; her niece, June Ellis, of Baltimore, Maryland; and her nephews, Ezra Ellis (Jean Marie), of Atlanta, Georgia, and Lincoln Ellis (Margorie Phan), of Los Angeles, California. Her parents, Gordon Richardson and Shirley Bisson; her stepfather, Ed Bisson; and her brother, Gordon Jr., preceded her in death.

All who knew and Susie will miss her dæply. Family and friends are invited to celebrate her life and share cherished memories. Her smile and infectious laughter will remain with us forever. Susie was truly larger than life.

A celebration of Susie's life will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Ellis home, 21867 N. Dellar Beach Lane, Rathdrum, Idaho. Instead of flowers, please donate to the Twin Lakes Improvement Association or a charity of your choice.