Marilyn Sue (“Susan”) Satterlee died on October 17, 2025, after a long illness. She passed peacefully at home with her cat on her lap and her family nearby. She was 78.

Marilyn was her given name, but she rarely went by it. At five feet and one half inch tall with enormous blue eyes, Susie and Sue suited her. And you better believe she claimed that half inch at every single DMV and doctor’s appointment.

One of her nicknames was Moxie, because the lady had grit. Her first husband, Scott, died in the Vietnam War when she was only 19. She weathered that first tragedy, began a new family, and started going by Mom.

In 1975, she passed the California real estate exam and began using Susan as her professional name. She quickly became a crackerjack agent and the first woman broker for Century 21 in Southern California. She launched her own agency, Ross and Associates, in the early ‘80s. At the time, it was rare for women to run the business, much less do it successfully for several years as a broker-owner.

In the late ‘80s, Susan moved to central California, where she met a fellow real estate agent; it soon became clear that her next name would be Mrs. Gary Satterlee. Together, they adventured and discovered nature, going riding, rafting, golfing, skiing, and RVing together. The fun didn’t stop when they moved to Gold Country. They lived in Colfax for many years before settling in Auburn.

She was sometimes called “Chef,” because she loved to cook. She lived by the motto “Love your family—serve them good food.” She won chili cookoffs, worked in early child and senior nutrition, and cooked at several local restaurants. She volunteered for Lasagna Love to send meals to people in need.

Susan never felt right without at least one cat around. She was also fond of dogs, and couldn’t see a wild animal without wanting to heal, house, or feed it. In 2017, she began raising Nigerian Dwarf goats. As she'd tell you often, they’re the sweetest breed. Raising babies and watching the herd in her backyard gave her joy and peace. In her later years, she happily went by both Goat Lady and Cat Lady (the “crazy” part was optional).

But her life’s purpose was family. If you were hers, she loved hard. She defended you fiercely, thought about you constantly, and nurtured you sweetly. The Henderson family is large and loud, but her nieces and nephews say their Aunt Susie made them feel special and seen.

Whatever you called her, to know her was to be charmed by her. Susan was a born storyteller with a wicked sense of humor. She was a fighter for justice who spoke up, donated, and volunteered for many projects to make the world better. Most of all, she was deeply kind: a spectacular listener, empathizer, and advice giver.

You can donate in her memory to Lasagna Love, World Central Kitchen, the ACLU, the Wounded Warrior Project, PBS, Adopt a Classroom, Planned Parenthood, or to Kitten Crossing Rescue.