Sue Jane Nicholson was born on June 28, 1945, in Wenatchee, to parents, Rebecca "Becky" Nicholson and Jim "J.O." Nicholson. Throughout her childhood and early adult life, nothing made her happier than spending time with her grandparents, the Allens, at their cabin at Lake Wenatchee. Growing up in Wenatchee, Sue attended Wenatchee High School, where she had her most fun on the Ski Team as a downhill racer, skiing primarily at Squilchuck Park and Stevens Pass. Sue graduated in 1963, and briefly went to college at Dominican University in San Rafael, CA. Upon her return to Wenatchee, Sue married sweetheart, Bob Koch. In winter of 1966, their first son, Christopher James Koch, was born and soon after, in summer of 1967, their second son, Allen Kirklin Koch, was born. Chris and Allen were the joys of Sue's life, nothing made her happier in the world than being a mother, as she would always say, "Motherhood is thy reward!" In the late 1960s, Bob and Sue divorced, with her always stating the reason behind it was, "I wanted to be a hippie!" Sue took off her nail polish and make up and travelled around the northwest coast, looking for a spot to settle down with her boys, eventually settling in Twisp, WA in the early 1970s. Never being too fond of her name, Sue preferred being called Susan and so it stuck. Susan raised her boys in the Methow Valley, "Twips", as she jokingly called it, where she really fell in love with mother nature. In Twisp, Susan ate what she grew, making homemade jam, canning fruit and spoiling her boys with cookies and pies that would become legendary. In January of 1981, already having two teenage boys, Susan gave birth to her third joy, a little girl, who she named Rachel Fawn Nicholson. In 1982, Susan had her boys head back to Wenatchee, while she and her baby, Rachel would travel across the country, visiting friends in New Hampshire and New Mexico. In early 1983, Susan rented a tiny house on Alaska Street in Wenatchee with daughter, Rachel, for what she intended to be six months, until she could find something bigger for all three of her children. During the 1980s, Susan became adored by her sons' new friends in Wenatchee, continuing on to be a surrogate mother to many. While raising Rachel in Wenatchee, Susan went to Wenatchee Valley College, where she received her Associates Degree from the Tree Fruit Research Program in 1989. Never a fan of the industry, Susan began her work as a self employed gardener for numerous gardens and homes around the Wenatchee Valley. All one had to do was drive by her little house to see her love and knack for flowers, if it was out there, she grew it, and it thrived! On January 11, 2010, after 27 years there, Susan passed away in her sleep in the little house on Alaska Street.

She is survived by sons, Chris Koch and Allen Koch of Bellingham; daughter, Rachel Nicholson of Leavenworth; her sister, Ann Brown of Wenatchee; mother, Rebecca Nicholson of Wenatchee; and aunt, Barbara Schneller of Seattle. She was preceded in death by grandparents, E.O. Allen and Agnes Allen; and father, Jim Nicholson.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Lake Wenatchee in the spring, when flowers are in bloom! Date to be announced.