Susan Aleene Lamb Forrester was born on July 27, 1944, to Bertha and William Lamb. She passed away peacefully in her sleep on February 27, 2025, at the age of 80.
Susan faced life’s challenges with resilience and an open heart. Entering the foster care system at the age of five, she later dedicated her life to providing the same love and support she once sought, welcoming foster children into her home as an adult.
An accomplished pianist, Susan found joy in playing classical music and hymns, filling her home with melodies that reflected her deep faith and love for beauty. She was a devoted mother who instilled in her children a love for literature, music, and nature. She read to them from Sam Campbell’s books, sang songs, and took them on countless hiking and camping adventures, creating cherished memories. She also shared her love of music with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren through singing and piano.
Susan loved nature and travel, spending much of her later years exploring the country in an RV with her husband, Jerald, and their dogs. She never met a stranger and formed fast friendships with those she met along the way.
Her love of animals was a defining part of her life. She passed down her passion for horses to her children and grandchildren, fostering a shared love for riding and ownership. She also raised Australian Shepherds and, in her younger years, Irish Setters.
A woman of strong faith, Susan was an active member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church until illness prevented her from attending. Her compassion extended beyond her home and church into her career. In 1983, she graduated with honors from Moberly Community College as a registered nurse, a profession she embraced wholeheartedly until her retirement. She was not only skilled but deeply compassionate, leaving a lasting impact on those she cared for.
Susan was preceded in death by her parents, Bertha Jensen Lamb Spencer and William Lamb, as well as her siblings, Donald, Harriet, Kenneth, Claire, Jeanette, and William.
She is survived by her husband of nearly 24 years, Jerald Forrester of Nevada; her sister, Lois McMillan of California; and her brother, Harold Lamb of South Dakota. She also leaves behind her beloved children: Ronda Reitz of Missouri, Bonnie Marvin of Delaware, Penelope Horrace of Missouri, and Kenneth Oswalt of Texas, along with her stepson, Jay Forrester of Nevada. She was a proud grandmother to nine grandchildren and two bonus grandchildren and a loving great-grandmother to six great-grandchildren.
Susan’s legacy of kindness, faith, and resilience will live on in the lives of those she touched. She will be deeply missed but forever remembered with love.
Memorial contributions may be made to dementia research or the Alzheimer’s Association.
