Sue Chance Obituary

Sue Ann Chance (Shoemaker) was born on November 19th, 1947, in Sunnyside, Washington to Lloyd and Zora Shoemaker and was the youngest of seven children. Sue's parents and siblings, Harold, Dawaine, Patricia, Shirley, Keith and Sharon, all preceded her in death. Sue is survived by her husband Milt Chance, her children Jen (Chris) Riffle, Brian (Stephanie) Chance and Matthew (Kari) Chance, as well as 7 precious grandchildren Emma, Owen & Abigail Riffle, Gage & Josie Chance and Catherine & Lucas Chance and many beloved in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends she called family. Sue was raised in Benton City, Washington where she lived with her family, attended school and made many lasting memories. She graduated from Kiona-Benton City High School in 1966 and then lived in Kennewick while she worked in West Richland for a veterinary clinic. She talked fondly, throughout her life, about the wonderful experiences she had and friends she made. Up until the end of her life, Sue made every effort to stay connected to family that still lives in the area and kept in touch with a small group of friends who called themselves ""Chix from the Stix"". Her hometown of Benton City and its people always held a very special place in her heart. In the spring of 1968, through a mutual friend, Sue met Milt while he was attending WSU and working on his master's degree. They made a connection over a weekend visit and started corresponding and seeing each other over the course of the next year and a half. They were married on November 29, 1969, in Kennewick, WA and enjoyed 55 years of a life they built together. After they were married, Milt attended Naval Officer Candidate School and their first duty station was Norfolk, Virginia where they lived for 2 years. In 1972, they moved to Seattle, where Sue took a job working for Safeco Insurance while Milt attended dental school at the University of Washington on a Navy scholarship. In July of 1976, they had their first child, Jennifer Sue and in the spring of 1977, Milt graduated from dental school. Following dental school, Sue and Milt moved to San Diego where they were stationed in the Navy, as Milt owed 4 years of active duty for the educational scholarship he had received. After 2 years in San Diego, they were stationed on Guam where in November of 1979, Brian Daniel was born. Then in 1981, after Milt had fulfilled his duty to the Navy, they moved to Port Angeles, Washington to join a dental practice along with Milt's brother, David Chance and Jim Siemens. In 1983 Matthew Ryan was born, and the Chance family was complete. Over the course of her life, Sue had a few very important passions that defined her as a person. The first of them was gardening. She spent countless hours every year in her yard nurturing her plants and flowers. It was a labor of love that brought joy and smiles to her family, friends and neighbors. Sue also had a genuine love for animals! From the birds and toads that frequented her lovely garden and feeders, to the squirrels that sometimes took up residence in Milt's garage, to her many beloved cats and dogs she owned through her life, as well as the pets of friends and family, Sue loved all critters. Another passion Sue had was for her community. She had a heart for service that infiltrated her life and time. Some of the places that she gladly gave countless hours to included Festival of Trees, Captain Joseph House, Roosevelt Middle and Elementary Schools, Holiday House of Crafts, PTA and classrooms at Fairview Elementary School, the YMCA Board and others. She was incredibly selfless when it came to serving others. Finally, Sue's greatest and most important passion was for people. She spent her entire life serving, working alongside and caring for every person that crossed her path. Her family never doubted or had to question Sue's love fort hem. Through words, gifts, service, hugs and kisses she was always showing her love to her family. Friends often said they felt like family, receiving the same treatment as her own kids and family members. Her life and gift to us is a LEGACY OF LOVE. May we all learn from her example and carry on her legacy in a way that would make her smile and give her peace. In the last weeks of her life, her home was a turnstile of people she loved that also loved her. Her family was humbled by the love and support of the many friends and family whose lives she touched. Thank you to all of you who loved Sue. Carry her with you in your hearts and pay it forward by loving the friends, family and people who cross your own path in life. Please join Sue's family, as we celebrate her life and legacy of love. We will gather on Saturday, February 15th@1:00 in the Elks Ballroom to remember and share our memories of Sue. In lieu of sending flowers, please make a donation in Sue's memory to Captain Joseph House in Port Angeles. You can visit www.CaptainJosephHouseFoundation. org, where you will be able to learn more about this important nonprofit and its mission, as well as make a donation online (please note ""In memory of Sue Chance""). You can also mail a check to CJH Foundation, 1108 South Oak Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362.