Susan Van Nuys

Susan Van Nuys, born Susan Van Zele on August 28, 1945, in Davenport, IA, passed away on April 22, 2025, in Fort Collins, CO. Susan discovered a passion and talent for visual art and music at an early age, creating works with a variety of mediums and modalities throughout her life. She loved the theater and participated in performances during her young adult life in the Quad Cities. Her curiosity and desire to explore the world led her to the University of Wyoming and onward to a transformative experience with the University of the Seven Seas (now Semester at Sea), which ignited her passion for travel. After returning from the Seven Seas, Susan became a flight attendant with United Airlines, stationed first in San Francisco and then in Denver, where she made her home for many years. It was there she married Chuck Lohmiller, with whom she welcomed two beloved daughters, Amy and Jill, in 1974 and 1978. Though their marriage ended, Susan remained a loving mother to their daughters, instilling in them an appreciation for the arts and a zest for life. Susan was a lifelong lover of film and literature. Her passion for reading led her to a fulfilling career at the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver, where she found joy in connecting people with stories that inspired them. In 1999, she moved to Fort Collins, where she poured her creativity and compassion into her startup, Beyond Bingo, working with elders to enhance their lives through meaningful enrichments. One of Susan’s greatest joys in life was being a grandmother. She took immense pride in her three grandchildren Kai (Owens), Bode (Owens) and Hanna (Boromisa). Whether sharing stories, exploring art, or enjoying a meal together, she embraced her role as “Lao Lao” and “Grandma Susie” with warmth and affection. Susan will be remembered for her compassion, her humor, and her ability to make the world a little brighter for those around her. Her legacy lives on in the lives she touched and the memories shared by those who knew her. She is survived by her daughters, Amy (Jonathan) Owens and Jill (Daniel Boromisa) Lohmiller, her grandchildren, friends from many chapters of life, and loved ones who will carry her memory forward. If you’d like to commemorate Susan’s life, please consider reading a good book, passing a good book along to a friend, or making a donation to your local library in her honor.