Suzanne Gardner

OBITUARY FOR SUZANNE (SUE) ROOP GARDNER

Suzanne (Sue) Gardner died peacefully on September 2, 2026, just one day after her 95th birthday. Her remarkable life was defined by love, resilience, curiosity, and deep devotion to her family.

Sue was born September 1, 1931, in Bartlesville, OK, the third daughter of Charles William and Harriet (Penney) Roop. The family soon moved to Wichita, KS. Tragedy struck early when Harriet died of illness, leaving Charles with daughters Martha, age seven, Patricia, age five, and Suzanne, age two. Five years later Charles remarried, and Madge (Bitler) Roop became the mother Sue craved. Sue and her sisters grew very close during those difficult times, and they remained close until the passing of Sue’s sisters.

Sue graduated from Wichita East High School and then attended Doane College and the University of Kansas where she trained as a Physical Therapist. She met her husband, Wayland D. Gardner, in college; they married December 26, 1953. In their sixty-eight years together, they discovered the world from the thousands of books they read aloud to each other and by traveling to many countries. But their special joy in life was their family. Sue and Wayland’s children are: Jan (Neil) Isaacs, Elaine (Barry) Hausmann, Ed (Natalie) Gardner, and Jim (Joy) Gardner; and their grandchildren are: Allie Gardner, Rachel (Collin Irwin) Hausmann, Wayland R. (Sabrina Blankenship) Gardner, Sarah (Jonah) Rabinowitz, Grey Gardner, and Ingrid Gardner. Sue was pleased to know a great-grandchild is on the way.

In 2012 Wayland and Sue moved to independent living at Story Point Kalamazoo (previously the Fountains at Bronson Place) where they have made many friends. Here Sue discovered the fun of writing, resumed playing the flute her dad gave her when she was twelve years old, and continued gardening, while maintaining close ties with her family. No one needs to be sad at her passing. Her life, in spite of her mom’s early death, was long, happy, and filled with love.

Suzanne Gardner Life Story

Suzanne Gardner lived 95 remarkable years defined by love, resilience, curiosity, community involvement, and a deep devotion to her family. She was a strong and very capable woman whose presence brought steadiness, warmth, kindness, and compassion. She greeted life with both practicality and joy. Suzanne died peacefully on September 2, 2026, just one day after her 95th birthday.

Sue was born on September 1, 1931, to Harriet and Charles Roop in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. When Sue was a baby, the family moved to Wichita, Kansas, where she would live until 1954. This was at the depths of the Great Depression, but Charles had a good job as a petroleum geologist in Wichita that provided the family material comforts. However, the family suffered the loss of Harriet in 1934 leaving Charles to raise the three girls without a mother or family nearby. Sue was only two years old at this time. Charles would hire people to take care of his children, but Sue recalled her sisters playing a key role in her upbringing. The three girls spent summers on their grandparents’ farm in Abilene, Kansas, where she became close to her cousins—particularly Kathy and Bill Barber. Sue’s situation improved greatly when she was 8 and her father married Madge Bitler. “Maggie” would become Sue’s mother and create a loving home where Sue thrived.

Sue’s family lived in town and she enjoyed roller skating, swimming in the city pools, and learning to play the flute. The family would load up their car and go on vacations to Colorado or Missouri or beyond where they would enjoy the outdoors. Sue didn’t like fishing but enjoyed hiking and being with her family.

Sue graduated from East High School in Wichita in 1949 and went to Doane College in Crete, Nebraska, where her sister Patricia was already enrolled. She transferred to University of Kansas in 1951 where she became a lifelong Jayhawk’s basketball fan. She was part of the pep squad who would go to the games with cards that they would flash so the pep section would spell words. She was thrilled when KU won the 1952 NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament and went on to win the Olympic gold medal (as a team).

Sue graduated from the University of Kansas in 1953 and became a physical therapist. While at Doane, Sue’s future brother-in-law, Conan Castle, had introduced her to one of his friends, Wayland Gardner. After graduation, her relationship with Wayland developed. He had joined the army and was stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and would visit Sue while driving from the base to his home in Crete where his father was dying. They were married on December 26th, 1953, and had a home at Fort Sill before Wayland was deployed to Korea and Sue moved back to live with her parents in Wichita.

After Wayland returned late in 1954, they moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where Wayland enrolled as a doctoral student and Sue worked as a physical therapist. After Wayland graduated, the couple moved to Fargo, North Dakota, where Wayland taught at the university. While in North Dakota, they welcomed two daughters: Janet (1961) and Elaine (1963). They moved with their growing family to College Park, Maryland, in the summer of 1963. After only a year in Maryland, they moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan, with Sue heavily pregnant with Edward. Their fourth child, James, completed the family in 1967. Sue lived the rest of her life in Kalamazoo.

Sue and Wayland were married 68 years before his death in 2022. They had an enviable relationship—supporting one another through the joys and hardships of life. They read thousands of books aloud to each other. Wayland would read to Sue while she was cooking and Sue would read to Wayland while he was doing the dishes. They read everything but particularly enjoyed non-fiction and discovered the world through reading. All marriages require work, but Sue and Wayland were committed to one another and were very happy together.

Sue and Wayland enjoyed traveling and camping, starting while they were living in Madison. Before children, they drove from Fargo to Alaska, camping along the way in an ancient canvas umbrella tent. When their family grew beyond tent size, they bought a pop-up camper and drove it all over the country. They would continue to go camping into the 1990s with trips from Maine to California and everywhere in between. After their children were grown, Sue and Wayland travelled the world, visiting six continents.

Sue very much enjoyed her growing family. Her four children were always a big part of her life and when the grandchildren came along, she was eager to spend time with them. She and Wayland enjoyed going on vacations with the grandchildren without their parents—which also gave the middle generation a break. Sue and Wayland also enjoyed traveling with her sisters or his brother. The three Roop girls would frequently get together to see new places or just to renew ties. Sue and Wayland returned to Alaska with Martha and Roy and took many trips to Europe with Patricia and Conan.

Sue had many talents. She was a musician—playing the flute until she was 90. She was a maker—talented at sewing, pottery, jewelry making, knitting. You name it, she had tried making it and usually with superb results. Sue had a lifelong interest in gardening and planting. She landscaped the yards of the houses where she lived and grew vegetables and houseplants.

She caught an interest in horses from her daughters and became a skillful horsewoman. For many years, she had a pinto named Charlie, shared with her daughter Elaine. She also bought a bay yearling, Windsor, and trained him for dressage. In spite of a diving accident in high school where Sue broke her back, she maintained fitness and enjoyed long walks into the final year of her life, when breast cancer claimed her health.

Sue and Wayland moved to the Fountains (now StoryPoint) in Kalamazoo in 2012, where they lived the final years of their lives. She made many good friends in this community where she participated in the Newsline, Reminiscence Writing, the Silver Tones, current events discussions, Reader’s Theater and many other activities. She had a wonderful group of 90+ year old friends! She looked forward to the very social mealtimes in the dining room each day. At the Fountains/StoryPoint she was able to live happily and independently.

Sue was preceded in death by her husband Wayland Gardner and her sisters Martha “Marty” Craig and Patricia Castle. Surviving are her children: Jan (Neil) Isaacs, Elaine (Barry) Hausmann, Ed (Natalie) Gardner and Jim (Joy) Gardner; grandchildren: Allie Gardner, Rachel (Collin Irwin) Hausmann, Wayland R. (Sabrina Blankenship) Gardner, Sarah (Jonah) Rabinowitz, Grey Gardner and Ingrid Gardner; one great grandchild on the way, and many nieces and nephews.

Celebrate Suzanne’s life online by sharing your favorite stories and photos on her dedicated webpage at BetzlerLifeStory.com. Memorial contributions may be made to the Melanoma Research Foundation, the Michael J. Fox Foundation or the charity of your choice. Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo (269) 375-2900.