Obituary of Susan Marie Quist

With heavy hearts, we share the passing of our wonderful mother, Susan Marie Quist. She lived a full 78 years of life until she left us on April 25, 2025, after complications from Alzheimer’s disease.

Being heartbroken, putting pen to paper has been difficult. But we knew it was time to share how amazing our mother was to the world.

Susan was born in Chicago but moved around most of her childhood with her father, Hubert Archibald Perry (aka Patches), a navy commander, her mother, Patricia Perry (Callan), a skating princess from the Ice Follies, and her younger brother James Perry, the free-spirited red head of the bunch.

They finally planted roots in Edina, Minnesota on Valley View Road. This would be her family home through marriage, kids and the passing of her grandparents and mother.

Mom felt lost for quite some time as a child with all the moving around, but she felt at home here. Graduating in 1964 from Edina High School, she met and married our father, moved into a neighborhood in Apple Valley and made lifelong friends.

She gave birth to two daughters, Michelle and Tamara. Close in age, just 18 months apart, but worlds apart in our personalities.

Over the years, as a single mom, we were a lot to handle. From our temper tantrums, to picking fights, running to band practices and sporting events, there was never a slow moment. Mom worked tirelessly and provided everything we needed, all without missing our recitals, concerts or first dances.

She taught us to be fiercely independent and stand on our own two feet. She led by example as she held down several careers, all the while being a best friend, mentor and mother.

She worked at Rupp Industries, Skyline Displays and ventured off with “Jeryl and the girls” to start FYS. The “GNO” group remained her confidants and friends throughout her life. Her career later brought her to Atlanta, but she then moved back home to Edina and the house on Valley View Road where she finally retired as office manager from the police department.

She was always a mom at heart first.

She loved watching her daughter Michelle Blichfeldt become a mother of her own. Susan’s grandkids Jacob Blichfeldt, Amanda Destache and Johnny Blichfeldt were the light of her life. She cherished the nuances of their personalities as toddlers and was in awe of them as they grew into adulthood. In the last year of her life, she was able to celebrate Amanda’s wedding, being one of the last people to leave the dance floor.

Susan continued to evolve herself and went back to college and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from the University of St. Thomas, alongside her daughter Tammy Thies. As Tammy founded the nonprofit, The Wildcat Sanctuary, Susan was her biggest cheerleader. Hosting board meetings in the Valley View home kitchen and spearheading the fundraising galas in the early years, Susan affectionately became known as Mama Quist at the sanctuary.

But Susan was more than just a mom. She was a talented woman. She loved to draw, and we would go through her sketchbook time and time again. After her passing, we also found several beautiful poems and writings expressing herself over the years.

She was also particular and set in her ways. A trait she passed on to daughter Tammy and granddaughter Amanda. The tradition that every single holiday serving platter is clearly marked with a post-it note and its menu item will live on.

Mom also liked to have fun. She loved to sing and dance. She danced everywhere, on the boat, in the kitchen and even in the Target shopping aisles. Another passion she passed to her daughter Michelle and grandsons Jake and Johnny. They promise to continue the kitchen karaoke for years to come.

But most of all she loved to love. Having personal and one-on-one relationships with all of you was so important to her. They meant the world to her. In the last year of her life, she experienced her greatest love of all, Phil Holmes. He brought her love and light when she needed it most. Even when Alzheimer’s had taken almost everything from her, from us, it didn’t take away her smile when he entered the room, or how her eyes lit up. And it didn’t take away her ability to love or be loved.

In her own written words, “Life is not for the future….it is for today. Tomorrow may never come, as they say, and I do believe that now. Every conversation is worthwhile and every ‘I love you’ held close to the heart.”

Thank you to each of you! And especially the rest of our family including Jason Bellanti, Scott Thies, Mike Destache, Katrin Colby, Becky Perry, Janice Swenson and all of the other family and friends that mom held so close.

Susan’s last wishes “were for everyone to have a fun time with our family and friends to celebrate my life and have a good time remembering me.”

Join us in doing just that at her Celebration of Life:

June 21st 1-3:00 pm
Legends of Champlin – Main room
11635 Theatre Drive North
Champlin, MN 55316

Cards can be sent to address above c/o Janice Swenson Apt 117

In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite charity of choice. And more importantly, pick a favorite song, turn up the volume and dance.

https://cremationsocietyofmn.com/tribute/details/81241/Susan-Quist/obituary.html