May She Rest in Peace
January, 28, 1953-August 28, 2012
Susan Elizabeth McKowen was born on January 28, 1953 in Los Angeles, CA to parents Carol Croper McKowen and John Allister "Pete" McKowen. She lived in the Mountain Communities for 16 years, lending a hand to many community organizations. Sue passed away at Kern Medical Center on Tuesday, Aug. 28 from heart failure after a long struggle with her health.
She graduated from Torrance High School in 1970 and landed a job in computer data entry with office duties. In 1993 Sue married Alan Carl Nicoll. In August 1995 their son Oliver was born. The family moved to the Mountain Communities in January 1996, setting up a home business to sell books through Amazon. com. In April 2000 a story in the Bakersfield Californian was published about the couple’s "garage library" opened to the public, with thousands of books. The couple divorced about 2007 and Sue reclaimed her maiden name. She earned admiration for her courage through life challenges, lifting her chin and forging forward. She was a private person, but became known for her sharp, no-nonesense intellect. Sue also had a lively sense of humor and was deeply devoted to her son.
Sue loved her life in the mountains, through both good and difficult times. She looked forward to attending the Mountain Shakespeare Festival each year and enjoyed playing ‘Mexican Train’ on Thursdays at the Frazier Mountain Park Senior Center.
Sue was generous in lending her support to community groups. She served as secretary for the Mountain Communities Town Council, enjoyed duties as an officer in AARP, was a member of TOPS and the TriCounty Watchdogs. She worked as a medical transcriber and served as a part-time proofreader for The Mountain Enterprise.
Sue is preceded in death by her mother, father, aunt Betty McKowen and uncle Richard McKowen. She is survived by her beloved son Oliver Nathaniel McKowen, her sisters Debbie Clark (with husband, Jeff), Nancy Steinman (with husband, Donald), Allison McKowen and brother Kevin McKowen-Taves (with wife, Kate). She is also survived by nieces Kate and Jennifer Young, plus nephews David McKowen-Taves and Sean McCormick.
An informal memorial lunch to honor Sue will be held on Saturday, Sept. 8, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Los Pinos Restaurant’s banquet room in Lebec. It will be a sharing of stories, memories and appreciation for a generous spirit. All who knew Sue are welcome and encouraged to participate.
The family requests you donate to your favorite charity in Sue’s name.
-Submitted by the McKowen family and the staff of The Mountain Enterprise
This is part of the September 07, 2012 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
Have an opinion on this matter? We'd like to hear from you.
