Susan Lydia Phillips

Susan Lydia Phillips was born on September 16, 1957, in Virginia to Anton Gabriel Kahn and Dorothy Hope Bullis. The eldest of four children, she learned early how to nurture and care for others, lovingly looking after her siblings Lawrence, Marybeth, and Michael.

Susan later moved to California, where she graduated from Leuzinger High School in Hawthorne in 1975. She was blessed with a devoted stepmother, Margaret Joann Challans, who became the mother Susan always needed and cherished.

On September 30, 1978, Susan married Wayne Bradford Phillips. Together they had two daughters, Faith Allison Phillips and Erica Richelle Phillips, whom she loved deeply and devoted herself to wholeheartedly.

Susan had a creative and patient spirit, which was beautifully expressed through her love of hand sewing. She found joy and peace in stitching quilts and making clothing by hand, pouring care and intention into every piece she created. Her quilts were more than fabric and thread—they were expressions of love, warmth, and tradition, often made with the people she loved in mind. Sewing was one of the ways Susan showed her thoughtfulness, creating and lasting gifts that reflected her attention to detail and her generous heart.

In 2015, Susan became a grandmother to Christian Ryan Casner, beginning a role she cherished deeply. She went on to welcome four more grandchildren—Ethan Bradford Reis, Ryder Craig Casner, Elena Lydia Reis, and Evan Gabriel Reis. With them, she shared special bonds filled with puzzles, games, drawing, long walks, and quiet moments of connection that they will carry with them always.

Even during her illness, Susan remained strong, resilient, and true to herself, always putting her daughters and grandchildren first. Her illness never defined her spirit. She will be remembered for her kindness, creativity, unwavering love for her family, and the many ways she stitched warmth and care into the lives of those around her.