MOROCCO, Indiana – Susan Kay Weickum passed away October 8, 2023 after a brief illness. She was born March 28, 1948 in Torrington, to Calvin and Edna Weickum (Green).
Susan met Michael Rich and his son Scott at Second Unitarian Church in Chicago and they were married there by the Rev. Bart Gould in 1980.
Susan is survived by her husband Michael Rich; her children, Scott and his wife Kelly, and grandsons Michael and Nicholas; Jessica Ribeiro (Rich) and her husband Daniel, and granddaughter Avielle; and Mareike Dieplinger (Hoermann), our exchange daughter, and her family. Susan was big sister to Patty, Diana, Janice, Sally, and their families.
She was a farm girl and often talked about the joys of irrigating sugar beets, corn, and beans, in the high plains of southeast Wyoming. She was a member of 4H, involved in sewing, foods, and animals. She spent several years at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, then lived in Cheyenne. There she became very involved with the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Cheyenne (now UU Church of Cheyenne). A move to Boston, Massachusetts, continued her involvement with Unitarian Universalism.
She received her Bachelors of Science degree from Northeastern University in 1977. Then she moved to Chicago to attend the Divinity School at the University of Chicago and Meadville Theological School of Lombard College. She did her Ministerial Internship at Unity Church in St Paul, Minnesota. She received a Master of Arts from the Divinity School in 1979 and a Master of Divinity from Meadville in 1983. While in school she was involved with Second Unitarian, helping to establish their religious education program.
Susan was ordained as a Unitarian Universalist Minister in 1983. In 1984, she accepted the call to be the minister of the First Unitarian Church of South Bend, IN. After serving there for 5 years she realized her calling needed to be more individually focused. She became a Chaplain in the Association of Professional Chaplains and went to work as a hospital Chaplain at Memorial Hospital of South Bend. For many years Susan was a part of CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management), helping First Responders deal with major tragedies they faced in the USA. After 10 years and a move to Indianapolis, she became a Chaplain at Community North Hospital and shortly thereafter the Chaplain at the new Community Heart and Vascular Hospital.
Susan was a friend and co-worker to many people. Her mission in life was to love all unconditionally. During her ministry as a Hospital Chaplain, she listened to and counseled patients, and their families, along with the hospital staff. Her compassion, empathy, and understanding was boundless.
After retirement in 2014 she engaged her passion for the fine arts taking classes at Ivy Tech Community College and in the fiber arts of spinning, weaving, and knitting, with the same zest. At her passing, she had been the President of the Weaving Indiana Guild for several years. Susan loved traveling the USA and the world. Susan is deeply loved and will be greatly missed by us all.
In line with her wishes to be an organ donor, she donated her liver through Community Hospital North and the Indiana Donor Network to save someone else’s life. She was always giving.
The family is planning a private burial at Prairie Vine Cemetery near Morocco, Indiana in October. There will be a memorial service on November 18, 2023 at noon. It will be at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis, just south of Butler University, at 615 W. 43rd St, Indianapolis, IN 46208.
In lieu of flowers, Susan would wish you to make a contribution to the organization(s) that are dear to you.
As Susan would pray, “May you all be at Peace”.
Stitz-Clapper Funeral Home in Kentland, Indiana is handling the arrangements. Please visit clapperfuneralservices.com for more details.
