Susan Ann (Hense) Wetzl

She is survived by her children Lisa Ellsworth (Brian), Julie Andrews (David), Michael Wetzl (Laura); grandchildren Cooper Andrews, Will Andrews, Grace Ellsworth, JD Ellsworth, Nate Ellsworth, and Lily Shipley; sister LTC (ret) Carol Hense and brother Robert Hense; nephew Jake Chasse; and nieces Michelle Woodhull and Susannah Deaton.

Her children take comfort knowing that she was greeted with joy by Ralph, her husband of almost 55 years, who passed in 2024.

Susan was born on December 2, 1946, as the eldest of 5 siblings to Robert Alfred Hense and Evelyn (Lund) Hense Kibler. She was a proud 11th generation Washingtonian and enjoyed many years of deep genealogical research into her family history.

After a brief first marriage took her across the world to Iran, Susan returned to the United States and married Ralph Wetzl on November 11, 1969. As an active-duty military family, they lived in many locations across the U.S. and in Europe. Along the way, Susan earned her certification as a Registered Nurse. In 1985, Ralph retired as a Colonel after 28 years in the U.S. Air Force, and kept his promise to Susan to return the family to the D.C. suburbs, where he began a second career in the defense industry. They settled in northern Virginia, and she became licensed as a realtor, working part-time for Long & Foster for several years.

In 2004, Susan and Ralph began to split their time between Arlington, VA, near their son Mike, and the Charlotte, NC area where their daughters and their growing families had settled. Their final years were spent residing full-time in Mint Hill, NC. The family wishes to thank Cadence Senior Living of Mint Hill for their excellent care of both Ralph and Susan, providing them a safe harbor to live their final years together with love and contentment.

At a date to be determined, Susan will be inurned with Ralph at Arlington National Cemetery, within sight of her beloved Washington DC.

Although grateful for any remembrance, in lieu of flowers the family respectfully encourages a donation to The Alzheimer’s Association.