Obituary of Susan Elizabeth Young

Our beloved, dedicated and valiant mother, Susan Elizabeth Campbell Young, died after a tenacious battle with Alzheimer’s Disease the morning of April 20, 2024 at the age of 80 years old in Chico, CA.  She died with her loving daughter’s family at her side at Amber Grove Memory Care.  The family would like to thank the staff for their dedicated care in her final months.

Sue was born in Santa Monica, CA on January 26, 1944 to her parents, Betty Jayne and Colin LeGros Campbell, while her father was away at war.  He was sent a telegram to inform him of her birth!  She lived with her mother and her beloved Grandparents (Ernest LeRoy and Helen Elizabeth Thomas) until he returned.  Her beloved sister Patricia Anne and her brother Bruce Thomas Hugh were born and in 1951 the family moved to Orinda, CA where Colin was employed with Kaiser Cement.  She graduated Miramonte High School in 1962.

At the age of 18, Sue met the love of her life, Gary Lee Young at the Rheem Bowling Alley on a double date. It wasn’t long into the date, each with another person, that they realized they only had eyes for each other!  They married on May 21, 1966 with a fancy reception at The Claremont in Berkeley, CA. Gary set up a Numismatics business in Oakland, CA and in 1968 their first child, Kevin Lee Young was born.

1n 1971 they moved to Moraga and had their second child, Christine (Chrissie) Anita Young (Weston).  Their neighbors were like second family and became lifelong friends.  Sue was a devoted Little League Mom, Soccer Mom, a Girl Scout Brownie troop leader, and member of The Moraga Tennis Club.  Sue was always up for fun, from Disneyland trips to 2 week treks down the Green River in Utah.  The family enjoyed camping and backpacking at June Lake and Lake Tahoe.

In 1981 Gary and Sue made a big decision to leave the life they knew in the suburbs to pursue a lifelong dream of living in the country.  They bought 80 acres (Rock Creek Ranch) above the tiny town of Manton, CA, again finding new chosen family. 

Sue spent the next 30+ years creating and volunteering at her beautiful ranch and in the community.  She worked as an employee or volunteer at the Manton School nearly the entire time she lived there.  Many years were spent as a Teaching Aid with her beloved friend Marilyn Lucas.  She would fill in as the cook, help make costumes, help with field trips and performances, games and more.

  After Chrissie left for college in 1989, Sue and friends founded The Manton Apple Festival.  This tiny festival has grown into a large and anticipated event that raises much needed funds for the town of Manton.  It is one of her proudest accomplishments. 

 It was in Manton that her love of fly fishing grew, since they could cast right out their front door on Lake Christine.  They eventually went into business with The Fly Shoppe in Redding, CA.  She was a proud member of The Shasta Mayflies and made dear friends there.

Sue was proudest of her family.  Over the years she welcomed 5 grandchildren:  Kelly Marie Young, Matthew Lee Young, Molly Miriam Young, Jayne Lee Weston and Alexa Kate Weston. These lucky grandkids had a grandmother who would get on the floor and play with them!  They made art, baked cookies and went on adventures.  She attended every graduation and performance she could. She often invited the grandkids to stay with her for a few nights over the summer (Camp Grandma)! Her grandkids fondly remember her always bringing a pack of M&M’s along when she visited. 

In the summer, Sue spent HOURS picking blackberries by hand to make her very famous Rock Creek Ranch Seedless Blackberry Jam.  She sold this jam at the Manton Apple Festival, selling out in a couple hours each year.  She saw bears, rattlesnakes and more on these berry picking escapades!  Luckily she was able to teach her kids and grandkids her magic recipe. 

She was also known for her amazing apple pies.  Let’s be honest, Sue was well-known for her cooking.  Sue was an amazing chef and baker. So much so she even got a job with Gary as the cook and caretaker of the Bailey Creek Lodge in Manton in the 1990’s.  They met many people there that would become dear friends.  Sue also spent time working at Kremer Chiropractic in Red Bluff, again, loving the interactions with people who were like family.

On August 18, 2012 The Ponderosa Fire ravaged through the area and burned the entire ranch and outbuildings to the ground.  Sue and Gary took comfort in a rental in Red Bluff while they battled insurance and finally were able to buy a home again in Manton, this one closer to town and neighbors.  On November 5, 2018 Gary died and three days later her beloved sister Pat (Gary) Slowinski lost her home to The Camp Fire in Paradise, CA.  Who better to help a person through a home fire than Sue?  The sisters lived together for months as Pat battled her insurance.  It was a special time for them.

In 2020 the family decided to move Sue to Chico, to be closer to them as Alzheimer’s Disease presented itself. Sue’s granddaughter Ali Weston moved in with her and they spent the next year and a half together, again, very special times for Sue.  In the fall of 2022, Sue moved to the Lodge at The Terraces in Chico.  She spent nearly every moring with her son-in-law Steve, whether it be coffee dates or nature drives with the dogs Colby and Jack, all the while singing Neil Diamond and Willie Nelson at the top of her lungs.  She was always up for a burger! In Fall of 2023 the family moved Sue to Amber Grove Memory Care.  She became close with staff and loved going on the bus rides the most! 

In her last years, Sue maintained her love of the outdoors, music, adventure, good food, and her family. Her family feels lucky to have had the opportunity to have her close the last few years of her life, and have greatly enjoyed celebrating big and small days with her by their sides. Whether it was passing out candy to hundreds of children on Halloween, a drive around town to view Christmas lights (she always loved the inflatable decor the most), celebrating birthdays with cake and ice cream, or just a simple lunch outing, Sue spread love and joy in everything she did.

Sue is survived by her son Kevin Young, his wife Megan and their children Kelly, Matt and Molly, her daughter Chrissie Weston, her husband Steve and their children Jayne, Ali and Jakob Duley, her sister Pat Slowinski and her husband Gary, her brother Bruce Campbell and his wife Cindy, her niece Karen Vicari and her husband Vic and their daughter Kiana, her cousins Laurie Mayorga and her son Nick and Patrice Danielson. 

We will be having a coffee and donuts (Sue’s favorite) Celebration of Life at 10:00 on Saturday, May 4 at the Recreation Room at Northwood Commons Place in Chico, CA (in between Henshaw, Lassen and Cussick Ave’s).  Please RSVP if possible to Chrissie: creationsbarefeet@gmail.com

 

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that you make a donation to The Sue Young Scholarship fund via The Manton Apple Festival (a 501(c)3).

Checks can be written to The Manton Apple Festival Scholarship Fund with “Sue Young Scholarship” on the memo line.

Checks can be sent to:

The Manton Apple Festival Scholarship Fund

PO Box 434

MANTON, CA

96059

 

If you would rather, you can venmo her daughter Chrissie who will then pass the funds to the Apple Festival.  

Chrissie’s Venmo:

https://venmo.com/u/Chrissie-Weston

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