Susan Lynne Boysen

Susan Lynne (Bader) Boysen (72) died peacefully at home in Moscow, ID, on July 1, 2026. Sue was born in San Francisco, CA, on Oct. 7, 1953, to parents Ressa Mae (Martin) Bader and Norman Aubrey Bader, joining older brother Spencer Bader. Spencer’s name and the word brother were hard for her to say as a little girl, so she nicknamed him “Bubba”- a name that endures to this day amongst family. As a young person, she loved spending summers on Auntie Margaret and Uncle Gordon Martin’s dairy farm in Southern Idaho with cousins Jon, Kathy, and Marlene, raising tortoises in her backyard after her family moved from San Francisco to Virginia, playing with her dog Bonnie, and riding horses. She attended Mount Vernon High School in Alexandria, VA, and George Mason University in Richmond, VA, completing a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Welfare, before moving west to the University of Washington in Seattle, WA, where she completed a master's degree in Early Childhood Special Education through the Experimental Education Unit. Throughout her life, Sue believed deeply in the rights of children and families to a joyful, equitable, and accessible education. After completing her master’s degree, she moved to Spokane, WA where she was a special education preschool teacher for 38 years, first at the Spokane Guilds School and Neuromuscular Center (now Joya) and then in the Mead School District in Spokane, WA, where she made lifelong friendships and helped move the district from a self-contained preschool model to an integrated preschool model, allowing diverse peers to learn and develop relationships with one another in a nurturing setting. Sue loved working with young children and families and approached teaching with deep care and curiosity. She married her first husband, Richard Mark Boysen, in Coeur d'Alene, ID, in 1980, becoming stepmother to Jess Francis and a beloved member of the large Boysen family. Daughter Rebekka Mae was born in 1981, and son Paul Andrew was born in 1983. Sue was a nurturing and joyful mother, teacher, friend, and relative. As her children grew, Sue’s minivan was always on the move, taking Rebekka and Paul to ice skate and play hockey all over the Inland Northwest and British Columbia, Canada. She was beloved by all who knew her, including many animal friends. Sue loved to travel and was always up for a new adventure with friends and family, appreciating the beauty of the natural world along the West Coast of North America from Mulege, Mexico to Sitka, Alaska. Sue loved Alaska and whales, possibly more than any creature. She especially loved visiting family in Sitka, cruising through Glacier Bay and remote coastal communities, and was always on whale-watch duty at the ocean.

Sue was creative and loved to work with her hands- she could often be found knitting, sewing, weaving, making paper, working with clay, felting, painting, gardening, and beading. She had a small and steadfast group of beloved friends from every era who chose to go through life together and made one another laugh. When her children married, Rebekka to Erik in 2003 and Paul to Ashley in 2014, each couple briefly moved in with Sue for their first year of parenthood. A devoted grandmother, Sue travelled between Spokane, WA and the Taylor family home in Moscow, ID to spend time with Isabella and Jackson- attending school events, going on day trips to water, and hiking at Idler’s Rest on Moscow Mountain. Bella and Jack loved going to Spokane for sleepovers at “Monkey’s” (their nickname for her). After her retirement, Sue became “Granny Nanny” for Beaudry and Ellis, a job that filled her and the boys with abundant joy.

Sue and Nick Beschen grew up near one another in Virginia and reconnected in 2015. They discovered a shared passion for nature, the environment, social justice, and each other. Though separated by thousands of miles, their friendship blossomed into a deep and lasting love that overcame the distance. The pandemic unexpectedly gave them seven precious months together, confirming what they already knew—that they were meant for each other. They married two years later and built the life together they had once thought impossible. They often said they loved their story, a reminder that love can flourish when two people share common values, believe in each other, and never give up on finding their way home.

Susan is survived by children Rebekka Boysen-Taylor (Erik Taylor) and Paul Boysen (Ashley Boysen), husband Nick Beschen, brother Spencer Bader (Sandy Bader and children Jennifer Kent, Martin Bader, and Nathan Bader), and grandchildren: Isabella Taylor, Jackson Taylor, Beaudry Boysen, and Ellis Boysen. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ressa and Norman Bader.

In keeping with Sue’s wishes, no public services will be held. Instead, her family and friends will honor her memory and her joy for nature in the wild places she loved over the coming year. We invite you to do the same. In place of flowers, donations in her name may be made to the Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute (PCEI), Sierra Club, or Heifer International.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Short’s Funeral Chapel of Moscow and condolences may be left at www.shortsfuneralchapel.com