Tribute

Suzanne Kathleen Grant, born on November 26, 1941, in Bridgwater, England, passed away on September 8, 2024 in Osoyoos, BC. Suzanne was a beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother, and grandmother whose life was marked by love, dedication, and resilience.

Suzanne’s early years were shaped by the backdrop of World War II. After the war, she traveled with her parents Dick and Gwendoline Milton along with her two brothers, Christopher and Richard Milton, to Singapore. Following her father’s secondment to the Royal Airforce Station in Singapore, the family moved to Chilliwack, BC, in 1957. Suzanne attended Chilliwack Secondary School and later pursued her passion for helping others by attending Physiotherapy College at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.

Suzanne is predeceased by her parents Dick and Gwendoline Milton, by her birth father William Barlow and her older brother, Christopher Milton. She is survived by her brother Richard Milton and sisters, Jane Milton and Sandra Lemley, along with her devoted husband of 56 years, William Alisdair Grant (Al), their son Mark, daughter-in-law Kristina, and two grandsons, Owen and William Grant.

As a professional physiotherapist, Suzanne’s career was distinguished and impactful. She gained valuable experience working at hospitals like GF Strong and Royal Columbian. In the late 1970s, she and a colleague opened their own private practice in New Westminster BC, a remarkable achievement for the era. Suzanne’s professional competencies and business acumen ensured the success of their practice, which she later sold in the mid-1990s when she and her husband, Al, moved from Aldergrove BC to Sage Farm in Rock Creek, BC.

Suzanne was a loving mother and partner, always providing for her family. After her move to Sage Farm she continued to contribute as a health professional in the region, working as an associate physiotherapist for numerous practices in Osoyoos, Midway, and Grand Forks, BC. Even after scaling down her practice, she offered part-time treatment from an office within her Sage Farm home.

Beyond her professional life, Suzanne cherished outdoor activities. She camped, skied, hunted and enjoyed years of weekending at the families Pender Island lakeside cabin, until the late 1980s, when her focus shifted more to gardening and hobby farming and even some pick-up Ice hockey in her 60’s. Suzanne and Al raised a large flock of sheep on their Aldergrove, BC, acreage before moving the flock to Sage Farm in the mid-1990s. Always there to help with this flock were her adoring succession of  three border collies who she cared for over three decades. She also contributed many volunteer hours to the BC Sheep producers Association while living in Aldergrove and while in her Rock Creek home and she and Al produced large volumes of custom wool for sale and auction at Fairs and Association events.

Suzanne’s life was not without challenges. In 2012, at the age of 70, she suffered a stroke. However, with unwavering determination and the committed support of her husband, Al, Suzanne regained much of her physical abilities. She continued to live at their Sage Farm residence until 2019, when she moved to Mariposa Gardens Nursing Home in Osoyoos, BC, where she remained until her passing.

Suzanne’s legacy is one of love, dedication, and resilience. She touched the lives of many through her professional work and personal relationships. Many of those closest friends from her early professional years remained loyal and in contact during her years with Al at Sage Farm and even well into her last years at Mariposa and we know that some of those ‘Vancouver Gang’ visits to Sage Farm, over the years, were highlights in her life. Her memory will forever be cherished by her family and all who knew her.

A Celebration of Life will be hosted by the Family in the Okanagan in the Spring of 2025 (Location and Date TBA)

In lieu of flowers the Family requests that any donations be made to the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation.