Obituary of Susan-K. Burton

Sherwood, Ore. - Susan K. Burton of Sherwood, Ore., ended a courageous year-long battle with cancer on Sept. 26, 2011. She joined the other angels in heaven when she passed peacefully at her home in Sherwood at the age of 63.Sue was born in Peoria, Ill., on Aug. 7, 1948, and spent her childhood and teen years in both Metamora and Macomb, Ill., where she attended Western Illinois University. She moved to Oregon in 1970.She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Portland with a master's degree in communication. She was recognized and respected for her thoroughness and no-nonsense approach to problem solving, superb writing skills, and leadership abilities. She ended a brilliant career as marketing manager for StanCorp Investment Advisors shortly before her death. In her previous employment, she served as the Oregon Lottery's first marketing manager and managed the "Newspaper in the Classroom" program for The Columbian.Sue was blessed with many talents. She was a skilled craftswoman in the home improvement arena, and earned the nickname of "Mud Queen of Tualatin (Oregon)" due to the seemingly endless quantities of sheetrock mud she purchased during the renovation of their home. She was an avid gardener, and she and her husband Ken annually produced a bumper crop of tomatoes and other vegetables on their land in Sherwood. She was enlisted to oversee the rose garden at their church, thanks to her well-known green-thumb and agricultural expertise.Sue is survived by her husband of 31 years, Ken Brooks; her step-children, Jason, Erica, and David in the Oregon/Washington area; her father, Charles "Chuck" Glaza of Mystic; her sister and brothers, Lori and Gary Huckins of Mystic, Tim and Judy Glaza of Mystic, and Michael Glaza of Jupiter, Fla.; as well as many aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews in Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Connecticut, North Carolina, and the Midwest.She was predeceased by her mother, Doris Weingartner in 1998 and her step-mother, Joyce Glaza in 2004.Sue's animated zest for life was contagious, and her wonderful sense of humor brightened the days of all who knew her. She will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her many friends and loved ones, who will celebrate her life and legacy on both coasts; at 3 p.m. on Oct. 19, at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Lake Oswego, Ore., and in Mystic at a private family gathering at a later date.