Susie Payne (June 2004)
NAI member Susie Payne died in a kayaking accident in June. Susie, a member since 1998, was volunteering as a naturalist with the U.S. Forest Service at the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center when the accident occurred.

Susie was a lifelong resident of Fort Collins, Colorado, and was featured in a 2002 story in the Fort Collins Coloradoan when she graduated from Colorado State University after 11 years as a part-time student. She supported a son and put herself through school by working as a hairdresser, according to the Coloradoan.

Each month in Fort Collins NAI members gather at networking potluck dinners, called “netlucks.” Susie was a regular participant and we will miss her warm personality and cheerful outlook very much. She pursued her dreams with the passion of an interpreter who knew what she wanted.

This photo was taken while Susie was training to be a guide at Begich-Boggs Visitor Center at Portage Glacier.