Edith Elaine Sutfin

Edith Elaine Hollenbeck was born September 23, 1928 in Glenham, South Dakota, the first child of Clay and Dorothy Hollenbeck. Within the next 10 years she was joined by 5 brothers, and the family had moved to the Landeau area near Trail City where her father was a rancher and her mother taught school and raised children. Two more brothers would eventually join the family. Edith attended grade school at Landeau and then moved back to Glenham for high school, where she became the editor of the school newspaper during her final two years. After graduation she moved to Rapid City and enrolled in the National College of Business there. It was during this time that she met her future husband, Bernard Sutfin, who was attending the School of Mines in that city.

Edie and Ben were married in December of 1947. Their first child, Terry, was born the following year. In December of 1949 Ben finished his degree and moved his family to Wichita, Kansas to start his career in aeronautics. Their second child, Linda, was born a month later. Life in Wichita was just fine, but California beckoned, so in 1953 Ben took a job in Southern California and moved his family first to Buena Park, then Burbank before settling for several years in Lakewood. Life was very good again, but Ben was eager to join the growing space exploration industry and moved his family to San Jose to work for Lockheed Missiles and Space Corp. He would eventually work on the Space Shuttle projects, while Edie did volunteer work and then took a job with JCPenney Company which gave her much satisfaction for many years. She was to work for several other small retail companies later on, and eventually went back to volunteering at O’Connor Hospital until her breast cancer treatments interfered.

Edie and Ben welcomed 6 grandchildren before Ben’s life was cut short by heart disease. Edie’s 7th grandchild was born several years later. She also had 5 great-grandchildren, who were as much a delight to her as the grands during the earlier years. She said many times that her children and their children were her greatest joys.

Edie survived 3 episodes of breast cancer, and one round each of chemo and radiation. In 2010 she made the painful decision to leave San Jose and move to Tucson, Arizona to be near her daughter’s family. She moved into an assisted living residence and was comfortable and content, despite several injuries due to falling, probably brought on by the dementia that eventually claimed her. She was cheerful and pleasant to the end, and her caregivers always loved to see her smile.

Edie is survived by her son Terry (Eileen) Sutfin, her daughter Linda (Steve) Wills, her 7 grandchildren (Janice and Patrick Curtis, Ginnie Sutfin, Andy and Jasmine Wills, Erin DeBaets, Christopher Sutfin, Casey and Jessica Wills, and Emily Sutfin), 5 great-grandchildren (Brooke and Braeden Wills, Mackenzie and Caitlyn DeBaets, and Stephen Curtis), 4 brothers and 4 sisters-in-law, as well as many nieces, nephews and close friends.

Edie loved flowers, especially roses, Christmas, her birthday, Mexican and Asian foods and an occasional cocktail while enjoying dinner with friends and family, or watching her Forty-Niners football team. She enjoyed attending concerts and watching the grandchildren in their school programs and sports. Her favorite charities were the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and St. Jude Hospital. She will be greatly missed by friends and family here and abroad, but she is welcomed by the most excellent company!

Funeral to be held at Lima Family Erickson Memorial Chapel, 710 Willow Street, San Jose, CA at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 23, 2017. Also, a Celebration of Edie's Life gathering will take place in Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday, October 7, 2017, at the El Corral Restaurant located at 2201 E. River Road, from 1:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Arrangements under the direction of Lima Family Erickson Memorial Chapel, San Jose, CA.