Susan Marie Raser

Susan Marie was born on November 12, 1945 in Spokane, Washington to Marjorie and Raymond Haines. The family was soon joined by sister Sandy and settled in Salem, Oregon. Several years later her parents were blessed with two additional children, Margaret and John. Early years were spent on family trips to the beach, picking strawberries, and working at the local cannery. After graduating from Sacred Heart Academy in 1963, Susan moved to Georgia where she studied X-Ray Technology at Emory University. Upon completion of her studies, she returned to Oregon and began a short career as an x-ray technician at Sacred Heart hospital in Eugene. When the opportunity to become a flight attendant at Northwest Airlines presented itself, Susan could not pass it up. She relocated to Minneapolis to begin training in 1967. Susan quickly took to the air and spent much of her free time traveling and vacationing with friends. On one trip she met a handsome young pilot named Bill who also happened to be from Oregon. This commonality was the perfect conversation starter and it wasn’t long before the two were inseparable. After getting married in 1969, the couple moved to Seattle, Washington where Bill continued his career at Northwest. In 1973, Susan and Bill moved back to Oregon with their two young daughters to be closer to family. Eventually they settled in Oregon City where Susan quickly established a strong group of friends in the community and at the local Catholic church. Susan began volunteering at her daughters’ elementary school and after a few years was offered a paid position as a Teacher’s Assistant. Susan and Bill moved to Canby, Oregon in 1990 where she continued to work for the Oregon City School District until she retired in 2011. Susan enjoyed many activities with family and friends throughout the years. Weekends and summer holidays were spent camping and boating. Several football seasons were spent in Corvallis tailgating and cheering on the Oregon State Beavers. For many years she volunteered by serving meals once a week at the St. Francis Dining Hall in Portland. Susan played Bunko with her neighbors, and although she rarely won, she always had a great time. In recent years she enjoyed her retirement by continuing to volunteer in her grandchildren’s classrooms, binge watching NCIS, and traveling with loved ones to several places – including her favorite, Hawaii. Susan was adored by many and was blessed to receive countless visits from friends and family during her final weeks. She passed away peacefully in her sleep on February 27, 2020 while holding hands with both of her daughters. A special thank you to Dr. Bradford Glavan of the Oregon Clinic for his thorough and thoughtful care over the past two years and to Providence Hospice for their expertise and specialized focus in end-of-life care. Susan is survived by her two daughters, Jennifer Raser of Portland and Marjorie Sortman (Scott) of Salt Lake City, six grandchildren (Brooklyn, Hudson, Tallulah, Mallory, Delaney, and Van), sisters Sandy Haines and Margaret (Haines) Broaddus of Salem. Brother-in-law Bob Raser of Canby, sister-in-law Cindy (Raser) Bigej (Jim) of Wickenburg, and sister-in-law Laurie (Raser) Steinke (John) of Gresham, as well as numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. Susan is preceded in death by her parents Marjorie and Raymond Haines, husband Bill Raser, and brother John Haines. Memorial Mass will be held at St Patrick’s Catholic Church (498 NW 9th Ave, Canby, OR 97013) at 11:00am on Saturday March 14th. Reception to follow.