Suzanne Baker-O’Brian, 62, of Iowa City, died Wednesday, March 5, 2014 at Mercy Hospice in Iowa City.
The family will greet friends Sunday from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service in Iowa City. A memorial service will begin at 2:00 p.m. with Mary Kay Kusner officiating.
Instead of flowers, the family kindly requests memorials to the Autism Society of Iowa -- a cause held near and dear to Sue.
Friends and family will gather following the service for a celebration of Sue’s life at the Kirkwood Room immediately west of Lensing Funeral & Cremation.
Sue was born November 20, 1951 in Des Moines, the daughter of Emmett "Bud" L. and Kathrine (Lystad) Baker. She graduated from West Des Moines Valley High School in 1970.
Sue graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in Elementary Education in 1974. She later earned a Masters Degree in Deaf Education from the University of Kansas Medical Center Campus.
Sue began her career as a special education teacher in the Des Moines Public Schools. She continued as a preschool special needs teacher at Ruby Van Meter, and then as a consultant for the State School for Severely Handicapped at the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. She came to Iowa City in 1981 as an education consultant at the University of Iowa Hospitals Child Psychiatry unit. In 1990 she became the Regional Autism Services Consultant for the State of Iowa, a position she retired from in 2013, although she often continued her service after retirement.
Sue and Dennis O’Brian were married on March 18, 1989 at the Candlelight Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sue and Denny would have celebrated their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary this year.
Sue was the recipient of numerous professional awards attesting to her skill and dedication as an educator including the Stephen Tsai Award for Excellence in Autism; the Certificate of Achievement, Staff Excellence Award from the Iowa State Board of Regents; and the 2013 Title V Friend of Iowa’s Children Award.
Countless children and families benefitted from her talent and kindness, as Sue touched so many lives helping children with disabilities. She was a true champion of children and a pioneer in the field of autism. As a mentor to other teachers, Sue brought great passion to her work, sharing her knowledge with unflagging generosity. Her many friends through the years enjoyed her sense of humor, and were continually inspired by her grace and courage during her illness while her focus remained, as always, on others.
Sue and Denny loved getting together often with friends, and also getting away together to a cabin in Minnesota where they boated, fished, read, and relaxed. Their adventures included many trips to Las Vegas to gamble, Hawaii to visit Sue’s brother, and antiquing road-trips in every direction.
Sue is survived by her husband Dennis O’Brian of Iowa City; her brothers, Steven K. Baker (Nan) of Honolulu, Hawaii, and John Jay Baker of Casper, Wyoming; her aunt, Lorelei Baker Goodwill; and cousins, Beth Gambrell, John, Thomas and Julie Goodwill.
Sue was preceded in death by her parents.
http://www.lensingfuneral.com/obituaries/obituary-listings?obId=87836#/obituaryInfo
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