Susan Marie Mericle

62, surrounded by her family. She was a loving wife, daughter, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and

friend.

Susan was born on August 7, 1959, in Seattle, Washington, to Alvin and Doris Johnson. She married

Randolph Dinsmore on June 2, 1979, with whom she had two children, Katrina and Katherine. While

their marriage wouldn’t last, they worked together to raise their children and still spent many holidays

and family celebrations together. At the age of 28, Susan went back to school and received her GED

from Mt. Hood Community College on June 2, 1988. Continuing her schooling, Susan went on to earn a

Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Concordia College on June 11, 1994. This was an

accomplishment that she was incredibly proud of, and she used this degree to work as a teacher in

several school districts in the Portland and Gresham areas. In September of 1997, she became a

grandmother for the first time, and would eventually have six more grandchildren. Being a grandmother

was one of her greatest joys and she loved to dote on and spoil all her grandchildren. Susan married her

second husband, devoted companion and friend, James, on March 18, 2004. They were married for

almost 18 years, and enjoyed spending time with grandchildren, watching movies, trying new recipes,

and being with each other.

Throughout her life, Susan had many different hobbies and interests. In her youth, she loved being

active and was involved in karate, gymnastics, roller derby, and girl scouts. During her teenage years,

she enjoyed attending Renaissance Fairs and being a part of the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism)

where she was able to learn about and reenact pre-seventeenth century culture. Susan was passionate

about crafting and was gifted at knitting, crocheting, sewing, embroidering, and so much more. Many

received gifts from Susan that she created herself and she worked hard to bring others joy with her

designs. Going to the mountains, the ocean, hiking at waterfalls, and being outdoors were her favorite

things to do with her children while they were growing up. God’s creation brought her so much peace

and she passed on an appreciation for the beauty of nature to her family. Other interests included

reading, creative writing, singing, yodeling, gardening, learning German, and more. She wanted to

experience and learn as much as she could, and to list all her interests over the years would be

impossible.

The greatest passion in Susan’s life was her personal relationship with Jesus. She loved communing with

Him through prayer and Bible reading and was a faithful member of Family Worship Center for many

years. Using her gift of singing, Susan was involved in the church’s choir. She also volunteered in many

other areas of the church to mentor and bless others. In her heart was a passion to share Jesus’ love

with everyone she met, and she never shied away from an opportunity to pray for someone or

encourage them with a scripture verse. She passed on a legacy to her children and grandchildren, to

love Jesus and to love others, that will be carried in our hearts and passed on to the next generations.

Susan was preceded in death by her father, Alvin and her mother, Doris. She is survived by her husband,

James; her daughters, Katrina Rajasekaran and her husband Manodev, and Katherine Schaffer and her

husband Jason; her stepmother Darlene Johnson, whom she was very close with; her grandchildren,

Kaylee, Jason Jr., Isaiah, Shelby, Aidan, Destiny and Micah; her brothers, Paul Johnson, and Benjamin

Johnson and his wife Becky; as well as stepsiblings, nieces, nephews, and many long-time friends.

A celebration of life will be held at 2:00 pm on Thursday, February 24, 2022, at Family Worship Center

(5001 W Powell Blvd, Gresham, OR 97030).