Obituary

Susan Lanea (Cason, Summers) Royal passed away suddenly, surrounded by at least 12 loving family members, on June 26, 2024, at the age of 70, from a cranial hematoma (brain bleed) at St Josephs Hospital in Bellingham Washington.
Born on November 3, 1953 in Bellingham Wa. Susan grew up in and around Lake Whatcom, Whatcom Falls and Blodell Donovan Park with her sisters and brothers. They were her protectors growing up. Susan went to Silver Beach Elementary, Whatcom Middle and graduated from Sehome High. She met and married Wade Summers from Canada, and moved there with her daughter Amy, when she was 4 months old. She had her second child, Nathan, about 5 years later. They lived in White Rock for a time with what they called the Kent St gang. Lots of story’s there.

Several years later she and Nate moved back to the Bellingham area and she met Ted near Halloween night in 1996. They went on their first date to Herb Neimanns steak house on Friday, December 13th of that same year. They were married on February 29th, 2000 and went to that steakhouse for every anniversary.

She and Ted would travel to Mexico the last 25 years, sometimes just the two of them, and sometimes with others. She and Ted also went to Spain twice in 2014 and 2018 to see Gabby, her granddaughter, where she has made a home. They rented a car and stayed a month each time, once seeing the north end and then the south end with a side trip to Morocco. She made her home in Maple Falls Wa. with her husband, and they’re dog, Chevy, where she had grandkids over quite frequently. She had several friends she would chat on the phone with for hours, a few were her sister Patti, friends Marta Steiner, Marilyn Herrick and Jackie Legault.

Susan was a cherished figure in her community and a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. Susan’s culinary passion led her to a vibrant career as a chef. She owned her own restaurant in White Rock, B.C. in the late 1970s, where she delighted patrons with her gourmet cooking. After that, she owned her own house cleaning service. Later, she brought her culinary skills to the Nooksack Casino in Deming, WA, where she worked in the kitchen for several years in the mid-90s. Her love for cooking extended beyond her professional life as she enjoyed preparing meals and creating memorable experiences for her friends and family.
A lover of nature, Susan was an avid mushroom hunter, particularly fond of morel mushrooms, and she often referred to her trips to the woods as her “Prozac.” Her hobbies included making soap, lip balms, salves, and tinctures, as well as gardening, especially growing tomatoes and crafting homemade salsa. Susan’s joy in life was evident in her camping trips, road adventures in the family’s cabover camper, and the simple pleasure of floating in the pool on a floatie and playing with her grandchildren.

Susan is survived by her husband, Ted; his daughter, Shasta (Kasoma) Duplantis; her daughter, Amy Marie Cason (Joe Kiss) Summers and her children Gabrielle Farness, Madison Summers-Kiss, Mackenzie Summers-Kiss, and Ridley Hambley; her son, Nathan Leon (Natalia) Morrison and his children Naomi and Nadine Morrison; his father, Al (Cam) Morrison; and Amy’s stepmother, Sue (Wade Summers) Althuizen. She is also survived by her siblings Kathy (Bud) Partridge, (little) Gary (Nora) Cason, Patti Bushaw, (big) Gary (Janet) DeWispelaere, Rick (Lois) DeWispelaere, and Steve (Sandi) DeWispelaere; her aunt Donna (Chuck) Freeman; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Mildred “Mackie” Marie DeWispelaere and Edmond Frank DeWispelaere; her biological father, Edgar Carl Cason Jr.; her brother-in-law, Buddy Fritz (Kathy) Partridge Jr.; and her aunt Mildred “Birdie” (Jeff) Osborne.

Susan has been known to be a “child whisperer” by more than one person. She and they were always drawn to each other like magnets, no matter whose child or baby.

A memorial service to celebrate Susan’s life will be held at 11:00AM on July 25th at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship, with a reception to follow, located at 1207 Ellsworth St, Bellingham, WA 98225.
Susan’s life was a testament to her love for her family and her passion for the natural world, leaving a lasting impact on all who knew her. She will be deeply missed by all who were close to her. But, she will live forever in our hearts.