Mazama Susan Jones-Nelson passed away Dec. 20, 2018 at the age of eighty-five. She was born on February 6, 1933, in Vancouver, Washington and passed away in Bend, Oregon after a short illness. Her 85 years was a life lived to the fullest! A defining event in her life occurred as a teenager when she was selected as a counselor at Camp Tamarack in the central Oregon Cascades. Being a city girl this was her first real exposure to the out-of-doors. She was immediately taken in by the beauty of the forests, mountains, and rivers. The rest of her life reflected this love.
Susan had four daughters: Shannon, Heather, Kelly, and Erin, in which she instilled the love of the beauty of nature. Susan was a teacher in the Portland area schools. She was a talented artist specializing in pottery, quilting, beading, and painting. Susan was an avid reader enjoying many subjects.
Susan joined the Mazamas in 1976 after climbing Mount St. Helens. With the Mazamas she served on the Banquet, Nordic Skiing, Whitewater and Outing committees and was elected to the Executive Council in 1984. She taught climbing, nordic skiing, and whitewater rafting. She was selected to be a climb leader when there were not many women leading climbs. She led many new members on their official membership climb. It was during this time that she met Mazama Lon Nelson. They were married on June 18, 1988.
After her climbing career was over she and Lon enjoyed traveling in the Southwest in their RV, taking cruises around the world, and admiring the views from their home on the Deschutes River. Her many Mazama friend’s lives were enriched by knowing this very capable lady.
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