Susan Marie Strickler-Tustison passed away peacefully on February 27, 2022, after a long hospitalization with COVID. She was surrounded with love from her family and friends, and she will be missed by all who knew and loved her. She was 59 years old at the time of her passing.

Susie was born at the Mission Hospital in Huntington Park, California on Sept. 26, 1962. She lived with her parents, Sandy and Ed Strickler, and her sister Shirlie in Pico Rivera for one year. Then the family moved to Fullerton, where Susie spent her entire childhood. She attended the Fullerton schools, receiving her High School Certificate of Proficiency at the age of 16. She then attended classes at Fullerton College.

Throughout her life she was sweet, kind, friendly and cheerful. She loved animals of all kinds. Her first job was at the Tropical Fish and Bird Store in Fullerton and she later worked at a Flower Shop in Whittier. She raised prize winning Guinea Pigs with the 4-H club and raised a pig at Sunny Hills High School. She had a horse and always dogs, cats, fish and birds and later in life chickens and even peacocks.

Susie always had a passion for music. She set out with her musician sweetheart Rick Tustison in 1983 at age 20. Their plan was to leave Southern California and drive north “until it gets pretty”. They landed in Humboldt County, and spent some time living in their car at Pamplin Grove campground, and in Eureka. Susie loved the natural beauty of the area and especially the redwood forests. Eventually they moved into their new home on the outskirts of Eureka towards Freshwater.

In 1984, Susie and Rick got married and had their first daughter, Angela. They also moved into a new place closer to Freshwater, where they would live for the next 18 years. In December of 1988 they had their second daughter, Chelsea. Susie was a very loving and dedicated mother. She taught her children to respect all living things, to be kind and to see people without judgement. She always cared deeply about animals, the environment and other people.

Susie was often introverted and could be self conscious, but she was good at making friends. The people who knew her could tell that she was a good, kindhearted person. She enjoyed singing, and she and Rick would often have their friends over to sing together while Rick played his guitar. Susie especially loved songs with good lyrics, and she enjoyed these evenings of laughing and singing with her friends and family.

Susie was very artistic. She loved drawing, painting, and sculpting with fimo clay, and she would try out any type of art or craft project she could get supplies for. She would create beautiful pieces to sell each year at the holiday boutique at Freshwater Elementary School. She fostered a love of the arts and music in her children from a very young age and encouraged each of their special talents.

In July of 1999, Susie and Rick had their third child, Sullivan. Susie always did her best to make life fun for her children. She would sing silly songs around the house, come up with fun projects, and was very engaged with their interests. During the summertime each year, she would take the kids to visit her family in Southern California. Some of her favorite places to go were Disneyland and Catalina Island. She always enjoyed sharing these parts of her childhood with her kids. She also enjoyed long summer camping trips in the redwoods at Swimmer’s Delight with her family.

In 2002, Susie and her family moved to Trinidad. While she lived there she enjoyed gardening and spending time outside. She liked having kids around, and she was always happy to have Sullivan’s friends over. As the years passed, she began to struggle with her mental health. This and other issues caused tension in her relationship, and eventually she and Rick parted ways.

After leaving Trinidad, she lived in her van for about a year before moving into an apartment in Arcata with her dog, Laddie. She enjoyed visits from her children and grandchildren, as well as lots of friends. After the time spent living in her van, she had plenty of empathy for other people who didn’t have housing of their own, and she often let her friends stay with her in the apartment. This and other issues ended up with her losing the apartment.

Susie spent the last 12 years of her life homeless. She met her partner Robert Ganfield shortly after leaving the apartment, and they camped together in Mckinleyville near the Hammond Trail. She had lots of friends in the area that she visited with often, and there was never any shortage of love for her. Many aspects of homeless life were very hard for her, but she took joy in the simple things. She could often be found pedaling her tricycle down the trail or sitting in the grass, enjoying the sunshine, picking flowers or listening to music and dancing.

Susie was always thoughtful and kindhearted. She was a truly beautiful person. Her love and acceptance for the people around her, her deep caring about living creatures and the environment, and her cheerful, fun loving spirit were some of the many admirable qualities she possessed. She had a wonderful and profound influence on her children, family and friends. It’s hard to imagine a world without her.

Susan is preceded in death by her grandparents, Nelson and Lorraine Smith, her father Ed Strickler, and many animal companions. She is survived by her children Angie, Chelsea and Sullivan Tustison, her grandchildren Daymond and Daphany Brown, her mother Sandy Trusley, her sister Shirlie Jones, her partner Robert Ganfield, her lifelong friend/ sister Karen Clark, her Aunt and Uncle Sally and Ben Waldrop, her neices and nephew Penny, Jamie and Brady, and too many friends to count. Susie cared a lot about animals, the environment, and other people. If anyone would like to make a donation in her honor, donations can be made to Redwood Pals Rescue, EPIC, Arcata House Partnership, or another similar charity of choice.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Susie’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.