Janna Jone Lyle

Janna (Susie, Tom) Lyle passed away peacefully on March 22, 2024, at her home in Gig Harbor WA, after a lengthy battle with cancer. Throughout her last years, Susie maintained her wonderful smile, positivity, and expressed gratitude for her life and those around her.

Susie’s life can be best described as family, friends, fun and travel. In her 79 years she experienced an abundance of each.

Born October 8, 1944, in Morton WA, to Lois Dunn who later married Eddie Bowen, Susie had three siblings. Older brother Jere, younger sister Tami and younger brother Dean. An especially important person in Susie’s life was her grandmother Maude Dunn Shaner who Susie and Jere spent many weekends with. Susie always spoke highly of her grandma and the fond memories of her time with her. Attending White Pass High School, she was a part of the band playing saxophone. Everyone always said she had a “musical ear” and played piano by ear. In her junior year, Susie was crowned Homecoming Queen. Graduating in 1962, Susie married and brought up three children, Michelle, Steve, and Rich. Working in the offices at local mills in Morton and Randle, running three kids to sports, she always was available to volunteer for community involvement. Some of her hobbies were playing on the Randle softball team for many seasons, racing cars in Powderpuff and dirt track, and travel. Susie enjoyed the races attending them each summer. Fun fact about Susie, she loved football! This would be one of the rare times she would sit in the cold for something. Lol. And she never missed a Seahawks game on TV.

Susie moved to Lakewood, WA, in 1982, completed her Associate degree in Accounting & Business from Fort Steilacoom Community College (now Pierce College) and started working at the college. Her reputation for excellent organizational skills and her calming influence precipitated her movement from department to department throughout the college. She was in high demand for short-term assignments, allowing her the freedom to travel when she chose. This is where she met a wonderful group of ladies with whom she remained close after retirement speaking daily/weekly and gathering monthly together. She cherished their friendship.

Susie married Robert (Bob) Lyle on November 23, 1988, at the Hitching Post Wedding Chapel in Nevada. Making their first home in Gig Harbor, Bob was supportive of Susie’s decision to continue working (eventually she retired allowing them to travel more). Their love of travel took them to many destinations. Havasu (where they had a second home), across the United States in their motorhome, and even on a plane (mom was not fond of flying, but always said “I’ll fly to get somewhere I want to go”) to Australia, Costa Rica and more. Their last home, built just for them in Gig Harbor, was full of numerous mementos from their travels and their beautiful life together. After Bob’s passing in 2008, Susie continued to live at this home honoring his memory.

Oahu, Hawaii being one of her favorite destinations, Susie went back many times. Full of memories with Bob, a past trip with May Rashoff (incredibly special person to Susie), different friends, grandkids, and her daughter Michelle. Susie, as most know, did not like to be cold so the sunny skies and beaches of Hawaii were perfect. This would also be where she made her last trip to in December of 2023. Walks on the beaches, attending the Hale Koa luau, touring the island in a rented Mustang, taking many pictures, and remembering past visits made for a memorable time.

Known as Janna, Susie, Tom, her most cherished titles were Mom, friend, and wife. She loved her family with all her heart, and her friends were fiercely important to her. Susie was often called and happily committed to driving others to appointments, and she never forgot a birthday. She always put in the effort to make someone feel special because that’s what they were to her. A couple of years ago, Susie added a family member, a puppy whom she named Kobe Jack. Kobe was more human than a dog, and mom loved taking care of him. Going for walks, car rides, etc., it was apparent how much they loved each other.

Holidays and birthdays were not just an occasion for Susie(mom), they were a spectacular event that she hosted. She made them all so memorable, with Christmas being her most favorite. Christmas 2023 was no different. The family gathered under the instruction of Susie to decorate her home and yard for the holiday. Susie loved her tree so much it didn’t exactly come down right away.

Susie continued to live each day to the fullest. Talking about her beautiful life, her travels, and seeing her friends and family. After 2 trips to the hospital in February the cancer had run its course. When she was in the hospital, her sister Tami made the trip to support Susie (or Tom as Tami called her), Dub Evans (Bob’s son Jonathan’s friend) travelled from Spokane to assist in medical questions, friends and grandkids called, sons Steve and Rich reached out, and Nathan (daughter Michelle’s husband) and Michelle visited daily. Susie returned to her home to live out her life. Her wonderful group of ladies along with Angela (caregiver for Bob and later Susie), her son Steve, and her daughter Michelle with husband Nathan worked out a schedule to make this happen. Closer to her end days, Susie’s wonderful group of ladies came for a lunch visit surrounding their friend with their love. Family made their last trip to hold her hand. With each she opened her eyes, smiled, and would whisper her words “thank you” and “I love you.”

Mom always said “don’t be sad for me, I have lived an amazing, beautiful life. I don’t want to leave you, and when I am gone don’t cry long for me.” And then she would point her finger up and say …. “Remember all the memories and how much I love you and live your life.” She missed Bob, a piece of her heart crushed on the day he died and every day after she honored and thought of him. Not wanting to leave us, I believe she is now with him, and he was waiting patiently for her to take her hand once again.

Susie is preceded in death by her parents Lois and Eddie Bowen, her husband

Bob Lyle, and her brothers Jere and Dean Bowen. She is survived by her sister Tami Hickle, daughter Michelle Barton, sons Steve Fuchs and Rich Fuchs, Bob’s son Jonathan, grandchildren Kai and Kendall Covey, Carter and Evan Fuchs, Brodie, Trinity, Amelia, and Olivia (Berlin) Fuchs, and her beloved dog Kobe.

A memorial to honor and celebrate Susie with family and friends will be held on June 22nd, 2024, in Tacoma WA, and her cremains will join her husband Bob Lyle at Morton Cemetery.

We will always remember her beautiful smile, strength, loyalty and immense love for her family and friends. She will be greatly missed.