Planning the Wedding

These last few weeks have blurred into one really long day.. and we have been so busy trying to get plans in order for mom's service that I haven't had much time to focus on Miss Dyllan's blog..

I keep referring to mom's memorial service as "the wedding" because it feels like we are planning a wedding- with only 1 week to plan it.  Booking the church, organizing the reception, coordinating out of town guests, accommodations, the service program, order of events, a slide show, decorations, the after party.. the outfits, the speeches, the article in the newspaper.. the list goes on.  I have never planned a memorial service before, so this is a new thing to us.  We are so lucky to have so many hands helping out- that the task doesn't seem so daunting.  Its all really starting to come together now- and I have to say- I think its going to turn out great!

I will leave you with this.. this is the article we have submitted to the Mercer Island Reporter.

Kerry Sussex was an amazing woman full of passion, spontaneity and integrity... with a dash of spice thrown in. She passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family and friends, on August 5th, 2010, after courageously fighting ovarian cancer for more than three years. She was 54 years old. Kerry married her college sweetheart, Steve in 1977.

Kerry's fun and out-going ways were a magnet for bringing people together. She was a successful realtor with John L Scott on Mercer Island for more than 25 years. She and her business partner, Bonnie Sanborn, were familiar names to Mercer Islanders.


Kerry loved to compete. Kerry’s “can do” attitude was expressed in running, biking, swimming, hiking, skiing, sailing, diving...practically anything outdoors. She loved walking her service dog, Mylo.


Kerry continued to participate in many athletic events including swimming the Tour de Mercer and the Annual Swedish Summer Run for Ovarian Cancer Research. More than 100 friends joined Team Sussex to support Kerry in the 2010 run.


She is preceded in death by her parents, Daniel and Nancy Cameron. She is survived by her sister Becky, her brothers Todd and Robin, her husband Steve, son Sean, daughter Erica, son-in-law Dan, and treasured 6 month old granddaughter, Dyllan Grace.

A celebration of Kerry's life will be held on Thursday, August 12th, 11am, at the Mercer Island Presbyterian Church.

The Sussex family would like to thank Dr. Hank Kaplan and the Swedish Cancer Center.

Per Kerry’s wishes, please make remembrances to:

Kaplan Cancer Research Fund

c/o Swedish Foundation

747 Broadway, Seattle, WA. 98122

Here are a few Dyll-Bug Pictures- so you can see what she's been up to amid all this chaos, haha.  I keep reminding myself how lucky we are to have the worlds easiest baby.  She has been an angel.  So content with anyone- and happy playing with just about anything she can put her gums on...

Hanging out with Jessica and Suzie- watching the Blue Angles from shore