Susan Mary Kirk Hartman
Susan Hartman was a wife, mother and grandmother who loved sharing happy moments with her family.
On Sept. 10, 2024, Susan Hartman passed away. She was born Oct. 18, 1940, in Centralia, Wash., to Margaret (Ryan) and Daniel Deck.
Susan grew up in Eastern Washington, spending her earliest years in Leavenworth and Ritzville. In 1947, Susan’s family moved to Ephrata, Wash., where she spent the rest of her youth and graduated from Ephrata High School in 1958.
Susan attended Marylhurst University for her freshman year of college, then transferred to Washington State University where she became a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority. She graduated from WSU in 1962 with a teaching degree. After graduating, Susan taught in Ephrata and Shoreline before returning to school for her Master’s in Speech and Language Pathology at the University of Washington, which she completed in 1967.
On June 17, 1967, she married her loving husband, Gerald “Jerry” Hartman. After their wedding, the two embarked on an incredible adventure across the globe while Jerry completed service as a Naval Dental Officer. They were stationed in Queens, N.Y., while Jerry finished his dental residency. They then spent three years in Yokosuka, Japan, during the Vietnam War where they had their first child, Margaret Anne. Their son, Matthew Deck, and daughter Hillary Marie (Molly) were both born in San Diego, Calif. She worked for the Poway School district as their speech and language therapist.
In 1978, Susan moved back to Washington and ultimately made a home with her family in Browns Point. After working in private practice as a Speech Therapist, Susan took a position as a speech therapist with the Federal Way School District where she worked until her retirement.
Susan loved having fun with her family and friends, was devoted to all of her mischievous golden retrievers and enjoyed traveling. If she wasn’t busy planning her next trip, she was scouring cookbooks in search of the perfect recipe. Susan and Jerry threw the best parties; everyone was always welcome, the wine was always pouring, the food was always amazing and their parties were always a great time.
She is survived by her three children, their spouses and her seven grandchildren: Daniel, Henry and Francis Sullivan; Walter and Maxwell Hartman; and Samuel and Susanne Dearing.
Susan will be buried in Ephrata, Wash., next to her husband and her parents.
A rosary will be held Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at 11 a.m. at the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Ephrata. Following her burial, a reception will be held at 12:15 p.m. at the Soap Lake Natural Spa & Resort located at 236 Main Ave. E., Soap Lake, WA 98851.
A celebration of her life will be held at a later date in Tacoma, Wash.