On Monday, December 5, 2022, beloved wife and mother Susan Elizabeth Flower passed away in St. Albert after a short illness. Left to mourn her passing and cherish their memories are her beloved husband of 56 years David, daughters Jane (Jim Burden), Sarah (Ryan Hierlmeier), brother John Amatt (Peggy), niece Jillian Amatt (Chris), cousin Jean Amatt and her children Sally (Todd) and Simon, and many lifelong friends and neighbours. She was predeceased by her parents.
Born in Eccles, England to Dorothy (nee Clark) and Sydney Amatt in 1942, she married the love of her life, David, on July 30, 1966 (the last time, she was prone to remind everyone, “that England won the World Cup”). Shortly after they wed, they decided to set out on a grand adventure and moved to Schuler, Alberta in 1967 to teach school. Strong in their faith in one another, they crossed the Atlantic not knowing if they would ever see England again. They did of course, many times, with their daughters in tow. In 1976, they moved north to St. Albert where Sue lived the rest of her days, passing away at the Sturgeon Community Hospital under the care of her outstanding medical team.
Sue devoted much of her life to volunteering for causes she cared about, giving generously of her time and talents. A teacher to the very end, she never hesitated to correct your subject/verb agreement or call you out if you split an infinitive. She had a mind like a steel trap and right until the end, there wasn’t a person she knew who didn’t want her on their trivia team. She had a sharp wit and a sharp tongue and wasn’t one to suffer fools gladly. She was beautiful, dignified, elegant and always a bit of a fashion plate. She was thrilled by the advent of online shopping and even more so when she found out that their retirement residence held monthly pop-up shops with some of her favourite brands.
She was talented beyond measure and loved to garden, paint, draw, knit, crochet, do calligraphy and needlework. She sang in the church choir, played both the piano and the violin, and one year convinced both her husband and daughters that they should all learn to play the recorder. That didn’t last long. She loved to camp and spent many happy years in the tent trailer with her family in the Rocky Mountains. A dog Mum and Grandma, she had a soft spot for lap dogs and big dogs who pretend to be lap dogs. And as a lifelong monarchist, she would have been tickled pink to know she ascended into eternity just a few short months after her Majesty.
As with all things our beloved wife and mother did, she died on her own terms and in her own time – controlling everything (by her own admittance) until the very end. She was strong and she was brave. The family would like to express our deepest gratitude for the comfort, empathy and compassion of the doctors and nurses in Unit 15 at Sturgeon Community Hospital with special appreciation for Drs. Leon and Zucker, Christine, Gary, Sarah, Tigist, and Lekha who cared for her with so much kindness. In keeping with her wishes, there will be no service but donations in her memory can be made to the Sturgeon Community Hospital Foundation or Westie Rescue Canada.
