Susan ‘Suki” Morrissey, 77, of Cedar Rapids, formerly of Mount Vernon, passed away Monday, December 13, 2021, at Grand Living, Cedar Rapids, following a battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. A Celebration of Life will take place 11:00 a.m., Saturday, June 18, 2022, at United Methodist Church of Mount Vernon. Inurnment has previously taken place at Mount Vernon Cemetery. Arrangements by Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services in Mount Vernon.
Susan Kay Smith was born Sept. 2, 1944, in New York, to Donald and Kveta (Vondracek) Smith. She grew up in Cedar Rapids and attended Washington high school, was homecoming queen in 1961 and graduated in 1962. Suki received her Bachelor’s from the University of Utah, where she studied dance and belonged to Tri Delta. Dancing ballet was an integral part of Suki’s life. In addition to dancing professionally with many groups, including Dieman and Bennett Dance Theatre of the Hemispheres and a traveling dance company, she was a dance teacher and Ballet Academy instructor. Suki was a well-known and friendly face, recognizable as the Sugar Plum Fairy at the Paramount in Cedar Rapids and from greeting everyone at Allie’s Emporium as well as Van Sickle’s Women’s Collective. She was a member of the Entre Nous book club, the United Methodist Church in Mount Vernon where she sang in the choir and taught the liturgical dance, and the Czech Society.
Suki enjoyed Elvis and Robert Redford, traveling, doing cross-stitch in her younger years and entertaining. She was very festive as she hosted holiday parties for her family. Suki became a step-mom to three children in her early 20s when she married Tim Morrissey. She didn’t cook, with the exception of chicken spaghetti, everyone’s favorite. Suki was known as a bubbly, funny, entertaining woman, who will be missed by her loving family.
Survivors include her children, Greg (Karen) Morrissey, Melissa (Ryan) Morrissey, Alison (James) Egolf and Shanna (Ryan) Cooper; grandchildren, Kyle, Kelsey, Dylan, Owen, Noah, Sienna, Addison and Tatum; great-grandchildren, Brecken, Kerrigan and Ashton; many friends including Karen Tousey, Ann and Guy Booth, David and Nancy Field, JoAnn Schoettmer and Michele Kelly and extended family including the Kosek’s.
She was preceded in death by her parents; daughter, Kerry Duffy; former spouse, Tim Morrissey and significant other, John Schenken.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to the entire staff at Home Instead Senior Care, Grand Living and St. Croix Hospice for their amazing love and care of Suki. Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library.
The family asks that you please share your support, memories, and stories with Suki’s family on her tribute wall under Obituaries at StewartBaxter.com. These will be shared at the Celebration of Life.