Susan Banes

Susan Lee Banes, resident of Durango, Colorado, left us suddenly on August 19, 2025, after a brief illness. Susan was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on March 4, 1965 and moved with her family to Tucson, Arizona in 1967. After graduating Valedictorian from Sabino High School in 1983, Susan moved to St. Louis, Missouri, to attend Washington University, where she received a master’s degree in Business and Finance. Susan returned to Tucson and following in her father’s footsteps in social services, worked as a CFO for nonprofit organizations including COPE Behavioral Services, Child and Family Resources, and Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona. Susan moved to Durango in 2015 and worked for Housing Solutions of the Southwest until her passing.

Susan loved music and was well known as Susie B with community radio station KXCI in Tucson and later at KSUT in Durango. She was passionate about women in music and was a pioneer in developing programming for both stations focused on women in all types of music genres, and in bringing iconic women artists to perform in Tucson. She was a gifted drummer and musician herself, playing drums in various drumming groups around Tucson, and in the bands The Wayback Machine and Drama Club.

She loved her animals equally as much as her music and was devoted to her rescued Huskies, Ari and Hina. Upon moving to Durango, she fulfilled a dream of having her own training/coaching/boarding facility at her home, which she operated successfully for many years. Recently she had discovered tennis and enjoyed being on the courts as much as possible, even buying a ball machine to practice with when no partners were available. She loved being out in nature and spent countless hours exploring the trails around Durango with her dogs. Her home was her sanctuary and she found peace and solace in the flower gardens and special places she created there.

Susan was fiercely independent, yet she cherished the many, many friends she left behind, particularly her dearest sister/ friend of 55 years, Susan Sparks. She was beloved by many in the women’s and drumming community in both Tucson and Durango for her sense of humor, positive energy, and willingness to share her time and knowledge with like minded folks.

Susan was preceded in death by her father Leonard Banes, mother Lois Ungar Banes, aunts Loris Ungar and Ruthe Majestic, nephew Brandon Brown, and her dear, sweet dog Ari.

Susan is survived by her brother David (Candilyn), and sister Marianne McNamee (Gregory), nieces Annie McGarry (Mitchell), Sarah Andrews (Ty), nephews Derryk Brown (Jennifer Sandoval), Fabian Copelin Brown, and James Graves Brown (Sarah); her cousins Linda Ungar (Peter Landesman), Howard Ungar (Rachel Goldsmith), Jeff Majestic (Patty), Ron Majestic (Debbie), Diane Kretschmer (Peter), uncle Robert Ungar, and grand nieces and nephews Olivia and Roark McGarry, Sawyer and Avery Andrews, Sophia and Brandyn Brown, and Anastasia Brown.

A Celebration of "Susie B's" Life will be held from 3-5pm, on Saturday, September 27, 2025, at Rotary Park,

(From downtown Durango: Travel north on Main Avenue and turn right (east) onto 15th Street. Make your first left turn and Rotary Park will be straight ahead.)

A Celebration and dance party are being planned by her friends in Tucson for sometime in October.

Everyone is Welcome to attend either.

Donations may be made in Susan’s name/honor/memory to:

Tucson—KXCI, Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona, or Our Family Services.

Durango—KSUT Radio, or Housing Solutions of the Southwest.