Susan A. Buckley

Susan Ann Buckley of Olathe, KS, died on July 6, 2023, at the Olathe Medical Center after a short struggle with complications from cancer. Sue was born in Endicott, NY, on May 4, 1948. She was a graduate of Roberts Wesleyan College, Rochester, NY where she majored in English, and St. Francis School of Nursing, Trenton, NJ.

Sue put energy and care into everything that she did. During most of her working life she worked as a private duty nurse, typically with geriatric and/or disabled patients who required her capable and responsible hands. She fostered strong relationships with many of her patients, several of whom she served for years at a time. Sue also loved spending time with family, which was central to her heart. As they grew up her nieces and nephew were treated to camping, sailing, and other adventures with Sue.

One of the highlights of Sue's life was the co-adoption of her daughter Danielle Dovidio (Logan) with her then-husband, the Rev. Dr. Dwight Sweezy in 1999 when Danielle was 13 years old. The threesome had a multitude of adventures as Danielle grew up, enjoying sailing, travel, and family time. Danielle and Jeff's daughter Harper has been the apple of her eye.

In her retirement Sue put her energy into the community, both helping and befriending neighbors in her Southhampton NJ community, and then in Olathe KS where she moved in 2018. Sue's "ice cream socials" were a focal point, as was helping neighbors in any capacity. In Olathe she volunteered in the public school as a reading aide for 2nd and 3rd grade students during the school year, and as an aide during the summer camps. Sue looked forward to the time she got to spend helping each individual child learn the basics of reading; she often commented on the gift of joy that each child would bring.
Sue was adventurous and enjoyed all forms of locomotion. This included her horse "Flame" when she was a girl, motorcycles when she was a young woman, and her cars, which she loved to drive and which always were treated with the utmost of care. Interestingly, she lived for nearly 25 years on a succession of boats – first a 27-foot sailboat, graduating to larger sailboats over time, and then moving from a 42-foot sailboat to a 66-foot shrimper as Danielle moved into the family. Sue had her Captain's license loved to sail and to be on the water.

An avid animal-lover, Sue was known to all in her community as a resource for their dogs and cats. For many years, she would put in 6-8 miles per day with her rescue terrier Jack. Sue would often care for and walk the dogs of her friends in the neighborhood, as well as dote on her cat, Bree.
Sue is survived by her daughter Danielle Logan (Jeff), her granddaughter Harper Quinn Logan, her sister Priscilla (Penny) Dolan (Lexington, KY), her brother James Buckley (Charleston, SC), and nieces / nephews Natalie Dolan Ferguson, Julie Dolan, Steven Buckley, and Christine Buckley McCoy, and their families.

A celebration of life for Sue will be held at a future date. The family asks that in memorial any donations be directed to charities such as The Humane Society (www.humanesociety.org) or The American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org). We are sure that any helping action you take in Sue's memory will bless her legacy.

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