Susan Y. Baxter

Saco

No good story ever started with a salad, but Susan Y. Baxter knew how to make the best salads and soups! She was a fantastic chef, vegan culinary artist; her miso soup & vegetable soups were to die for; legend has it, she died after adding meat one day…

Meat is a no-no, or as Susan would say, "I don't like to eat things with faces!" Susan was the best grammar critic, excellent travel agent & vacation planner, fun word game partner, crossword puzzle master, quick-witted, incredible interior designer (turning every house into a welcoming and attractive home), art lover (especially Monet!), and love of learning, collector of tape measures & roosters & little vases! Sand dollars, seashells and walks on the beach, stained glass, prisms and an 83 Mercedes ragtop make you think of SuzQ. She had no patience for bad grammar, bad wine, or bad service!

She loved her grandchildren, her oldest William J Barkhuff (24), Hailey E Barkhuff (20y), Ashlyn M. Barkhuff (16). Recently, she attended and watched with pride as Ashlyn received her high-school diploma. Susan had a very special bond with her grandson, Jasen C. Chaussé (21).  She would beam when talking about her east coast grandkids, Lucas N Harvey (16), and Asa E. Harvey (13).

Susan was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, on November 1, 1953, to Charles E. Younts and Betty Eubank Randall. She has two siblings, Randy C. Younts and Sandra L. Bennett. She spent a good part of her life in Fairbanks, Alaska, where she was married to Gary C. Annis, and raised two beautiful daughters, Amy M. Chausse (mother to grandson Jasen) and Kristin M. Wilkinson (mother to William, Hailey, Ashlyn). Susan started her career in Fairbanks in education and held various roles as an admin for the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, and also Human Resources Director. She pursued her education receiving her Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Maryland. She was a fierce fighter and defender for employees' rights, and was proud of the work she did for ESSA (Education Support Staff Association) where she advocated for public education.  Susan was also the Vice-President of NEA – Alaska, the strongest advocacy group in the state, where she worked for excellence in public education; fought for the rights of educators; and pursued enhanced learning opportunities for students. Another of Susan's notable achievements was forming Kid Voting North Alaska; a nonpartisan, grassroots-driven voter education program committed to creating lifelong voting habits in children, increasing family communication about citizenship, and encouraging greater adult voter turnout.

In Susan's second chapter of life, she married  beloved husband, Thomas E. Harvey, July 26, 2008. They spent the next decade traveling to exotic destinations like Russia, China, Malta, Egypt, Ireland, and many more. Susan adored her additional family, including Tom's oldest daughter, Wendy Harvey and wife, Peg Gagnon; and son Marc Harvey (father of Lucas and Asa). Susan and Tom would divide their time on both coasts to visit with family they loved and had so much fun together. Susan was a creative genius and enjoyed her latest hobby of phlorography, or floral photography. She would spend countless hours capturing light and shadow play in nature with her lens. It's your reminder, kind reader, to notice the little things in life and seize the moment! As Erma Bombeck would say, Remember all those women on the 'Titanic' who waved off the dessert cart. Susan would add, "Besides, no good story ever started with a salad, Cheers!"