Susan Beth Winters

April 23, 1958 - July 5, 2014

Susan was a fun-loving, free spirit. As a young child, she was wonderfully creative and artistic, as she loved to sing and dance and was particularly talented in drawing. She enjoyed participating in numerous musical and theatrical productions from her early years and into high school, once playing Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz for a semi-professional drama company.

She was born in the Chicago area, moved to St. Marys and Topeka, Kansas, in her adolescent years, and graduated from Topeka West High School. Soon after, Kansas City became her home, a place she returned to many times throughout the years after exploring residences elsewhere.

Susan had a spontaneous and wanderlust nature which drew her to many different places and adventures. In her early twenties she lived in Colorado Springs-for a time in a rustic mountain cabin in Green Mountain Falls, Colorado. She loved music, concerts, the mountains and outdoors, and especially her dogs and many cats she pampered throughout her life. She was drawn to the Southwest for a few years, living in Red River, New Mexico and Phoenix, Arizona.

She moved to the Bay Area, living in Mountain View and Sunnyvale, California, and working as a Recruiter for computer software companies while enjoying the beach and California lifestyle. She held contract recruiter jobs as well, including hiring TSA workers for the government in her forties. She worked for a publishing company in Kansas City as an Ad Production Coordinator for six years and throughout her life, at various times, worked in the accounting field.

Susan passed away peacefully, with her family gathered by her side, at the Kansas City Hospice House on July 5, 2014, at the age of 56. She will be remembered for her warm, caring nature. Susan had a big heart and was always ready to lend a hand to those in need.

She is survived by her husband, Jimmy Williams; her mother and stepfather, Juanita and Richard Bradley; her father, Ronald Winters; sisters, Amy and Dana Winters; brothers, Scott, Ronnie and Chris Winters; brother- and sisters-in-law, John Whitney and Jillian Winters; niece and nephews, Megan, Ian, Eric and Andrew; and her sweet cat, Sophie.

A Celebration of Life memorial for family and friends will be at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, August 2, 2014, with a reception/luncheon following, at Amos Family Funeral Home, Shawnee, Kansas.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the "Great Plains SPCA" Veterinary Care Center in Merriam, Kansas, towards the veterinary care for her beloved high needs cat, Sophie (her "baby" rescued from a shelter). Please send all contributions c/o Amy Winters, 4020 Caddo Pkwy., Boulder, CO 80303.