Obituary of Susan Elizabeth Dougan

“If you knew Susie like we knew Susie, Oh, Oh , Oh what a gal!” “ Suzie was quite a “Gal”! Our Suzie will be remembered for her zest for life, her incredible years of teaching, her remarkable athletic abilities, her incredible ukulele playing, and her ability to make friends wherever she traveled. It is accurate to say that Suzie never met a stranger. Suzie was born in Glendale, California to Ann O’Neill Sargent and John Franklin Sargent (Frank). She arrived as a gift 6 years after her big sister Sally Sargent. She attended Glendale High School. After graduation she attended San Jose State University where she earned her BA in English and continued on to earn her Secondary Teaching Credential. While at San Jose State, she was a beloved member of Chi Omega Sorority. After graduation she married Dave Dougan and they were married for 25 years. Suzie followed her dream of becoming a teacher and taught at Aptos Junior High and Scotts Valley Junior High. She then decided to teach in International Schools in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Brasilia, and Cartagena. After these great teaching adventures, she returned to Santa Cruz and taught in Cupertino at Kennedy Middle School. She leaves behind a memorable legacy of a love for writing and reading to all her former students. In addition to teaching English, she taught Speech and for years coached volleyball. Suzie led a life of adventure. She traveled all over the world teaching. She and Dave were well known sailors and volleyball players in Santa Cruz She taught Junior high school for 30 plus years. After retirement, she lived between Bend Oregon and Santa Cruz California. It didn’t take her long to find friends to accompany her on the golf course. She was an avid golfer and played to a 12 handicap, but then she discovered Pickle Ball. Pickle Ball became her passion and she helped develop the Pickle Ball movement in Santa Cruz and Bend Oregon. She traveled to Senior Tournaments, always returning home with a medal. Suzie passed away unexpectedly from a fall on the Pickle Ball Court due to a Cerebral Hemorrhage. She never stopped doing what she loved. Suzie leaves behind her beloved sister, Sally Sargent, of Santa Rosa, California, a great many sisters in Chi Omega, dear friends in Bend Oregon, Santa Cruz California, and Thailand. We will miss Suzie’s wonderful spirit, her smile, energy, and love for her friends and family. We want to thank Care From the Heart caregivers in Santa Cruz for their loving care. An Open House Memorial Celebration of Life will be planned on Saturday, November 12th at Suzie’s home from 1:30-4:30 pm. Please RSVP to Jan at Janwilloughby7@gmail.com. If you would like to make a donation in memory of Suzie, we suggest CancerCAREpoint, one of Susie’s favorite non-profits. www.cancercarepoint.org or make a donation to a charity of your choice.