Sue Horton Larsen passed away peacefully on August 26, 2026. Sue was 96 years old and lived at AEGIS Ravenna, near her oldest daughter Leni, in Seattle, WA. Sue was born on May 10, 1930 in Lakewood, Ohio. When she was one, she and her two brothers, Bill and Dick, her mom, her dad, and her maternal grandmother (Namo) moved to Bay Village, Ohio where she lived until graduating high school. Sue met Tom Larsen, her future husband, sophomore year at Bay Village High School (a.k.a., Parkview High). She graduated as a member of the National Honors Society. Her love of nature and art took her to Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA, where she majored in Art. Sue graduated on June 3, 1952 and was married to Tom 11 days later on June 14, 1952 at Bay Village Presbyterian Church.

Sue and Tom lived in San Antonio, TX for a year (while Tom finished his Air Force tour) and they had their first daughter, Leni, in Texas. They then moved to Columbus, Ohio where they had 2 more daughters, Wendy and Laurie. Sue and Tom lived in Columbus for 57 years, both in Clintonville and later in German Village. At age 80, Sue and Tom moved to Anacortes, WA where they built a home and lived together for another 12 years.

While Sue and Tom lived in Clintonville they were involved in many activities together: church choir(s) (Sue sang alto), a square dance club, and American Field Service (AFS). They brought two AFS students into their home for a year: Marianne Engesvik from Norway and Sabina Breit Whiteus from Germany, and these “daughters” became part of Sue’s and Tom’s family for life. While in Clintonville , it was common for Sue to coordinate large parties for family holidays, barbershop afterglows, and neighborhood gatherings. Sue’s artistic talent and kind heart made these parties a favorite event for family and friends to attend.

In 1968, Sue and Tom first purchased a cottage in German Village, where, with help from many family members and friends, they continued to buy, renovate, and own five historic houses (including three duplexes). Sue managed all aspects of these properties from financial negotiations to contractor coordination to tenant relationships. Her creative style was recognized and exhibited in all of these homes—all of which were highlighted in German Village Society House and Gardens tours. Sue and Tom moved from their home in Clintonville to their house on City Park in German Village in 1988.

Throughout her life, her passion for art and creativity was wide-ranging. She and her Singer Featherweight sewing machine produced beautiful clothes for herself and her children, miniature luxurious wardrobes for 3 Barbie dolls, and fantastical costumes for Beaux Art balls, to name a few. Her masterwork piece was created with her daughter Wendy. This large applique quilt depicts 31 traditional German Village houses, including Sue’s and Tom’s five homes. At the root of Sue’s creativity was her paintings. Her favorite medium was oil painting, many of which are in family and friend’s homes in Germany, Norway, England, and many homes in the United States. After college, she started painting wall murals depicting storybook characters for children’s bedrooms. Laurie had Bambi characters surrounding her room as she grew up. Sue’s special talent was rosemaling, a traditional Norwegian folk art that Sue took to a whole different level of beauty. Gifts from Sue often included these decorations. Many family members and friends requested that she adorn their platters, cabinets, and furniture with her rosemaling art form.

Sue’s gifts to her community came through volunteerism. A Girl Scout herself, she served as leader for Leni’s troop (Troop #882), where she led all 13 girls through Senior Girl Scouting. As her Seniors transitioned on, Sue began leading a troop of young girls with physical disabilities. Sue even sewed specialty badges for these young girls for accomplishments they were able (with their significant disabilities) to complete. Activities included sleeping in tents, making s’mores, and playing with polliwogs and minnows in a small pond. Her leadership and kindness was recognized through receipt of both the local and state Service to Mankind (SERTOMA) award.

Sue was a master of volunteerism, and many of these activities were associated with the Columbus Museum of Art. One of her many contributions was initiation and organization of the Art in Bloom festival where local floral designers provide creations inspired by artwork in the museum. She was active in Beaux Arts as president of the club and chair for their annual costume ball in Columbus. She was on a committee to organize and lend museum art to local businesses. She assisted with the museum in various ways until she moved to Washington State.

While Sue lived in German Village, she led many important projects for the village. She designed a coverlet of German Village houses as a fundraiser. She assisted in decorating and providing some fun restroom murals in the German Village Meeting Hall when it was under renovation. She led the efforts to construct a large garden in Schiller Park that leads to the statue of Von-Schiller. She worked with local government agencies, banks, garden care companies, and other garden club volunteers to fund, plan, build, and maintain this 26 x 80-foot garden. During this time Sue got to know the director of Parks and Recreation so well that he requested she take over maintenance of all the trees in Schiller Park. She coordinated care for trees that were damaged by weather, age, insects, etc. throughout the park. In 1995, Sue and Tom receive the “Fred and Howard” award for outstanding volunteering in German Village. The relationships Sue and Tom made through their volunteerism also extended to fun activities, like a “Spotnight” group that met monthly for laughter, food, and friendship.

In 2010, after learning to sail at the Hoover Sailing club in Columbus and sailing the San Juan islands on the “Green Envy” Dana 24 for vacation each year, Sue and Tom decided to have a new home built in Anacortes, Washington. Their home overlooked the Guemes Channel and San Juan Islands, where they could enjoy seeing the sailing yachts and ships passing by. Sue continued to paint oil paintings and nurture a beautiful garden in her yard. She sang with the Anacortes Lutheran Church choir—as a tenor this time. Sue and Tom were ongoing members of the “NewComer’s” club and enjoyed barbershop songs and pizza with good friends in town.

We will miss her creativity, nurturing spirit, giving heart, gentle kindness, and love of hand-holding.

Sue was preceded in death by William Hume Horton (father), Lilia (Suzy) Hoke Horton (mother), William Hume Horton, Jr. (brother), Richard Hume Horton (brother), and her loving husband, Thomas Herbert Larsen. Sue is survived by her three daughters; Leni Larsen Heller (Max), Wendy Larsen Christensen (Dave), Laurie Larsen Quill (John); seven grandchildren; Beth Turner, Stephanie Cowan, Erik Heller (Lindsey), Michael Quill (Kim), Lindsey Heller, Ryan Heller (Suzie), Madeline Bouché (Greg); and eleven great grandchildren; Ethan Turner, Alexis Cowan, Lorelai Turner, Brigetta Heller, Max Turner, Wolfgang Heller, Liam Quill, Eleanor Bouché, Molly Quill, Theodore Bouché, and Franklin Bouché; and sister-in-law Lenora Mae Larsen Habenicht.

Services will be immediate family-only.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Sue’s name may be given to Memorial Trees, through the Sympathy Store.

Eulogy for Sue Horton Larsen
By Madeline Quill Bouché, grandchild of Sue Horton Larsen

It is the details that strike me most about Grandma.

As they were moving out of the City Park house, I remember talking about how the person who bought their house would need to love all the details in the house – the wooden archway in the library, the pocket door to the bathroom, the bay window, and the stained glass.

The details of that house were beautiful because Grandma saw the beauty, preserved it, and left it more beautiful than she found it.

Unfailingly, she paid attention to the details:

The set of glass marbles on the table in her living room in the turquoise blown-glass bowl. The pool she had built just the right size to float in, and the perfect halo of dry hair around her face after every float. The leprechaun perched on a rock that she painted in the mural on my bedroom wall. Votive candles floating in her pool for a Peter Pan themed party. The mural on the stairs to the basement of their house, with flowers painted by every grandchild (even those of us who had no business painting). The miniscule stitching of a quilt square, made to look like a perfect quilt replica of a house in German Village. The books tucked in nooks and cases all around their house. The Van Gogh (with a Velcro-removable ear) keeping watch over her easel. The careful stitching of a delicate new trim on the flower girl’s dress for my wedding. The tiny curl of hair at the nape of a toddler’s neck, curled around her finger

In gardens, I especially think of her. For a garden to be beautiful, each detail is important – the height of the plant, the color of the flower, the time it blooms, the positioning relative to other plants. All the details need to work together, and Grandma always had a vision to make the garden come to life. To get there, she tended to each detail.

As she and Grandpa continuously built their life, from Bay Village to Texas to Brevoort Road to German Village and finally to Anacortes, Grandma tended to the details – imbuing color and beauty into their homes and into their life together.

My memories of time spent with Grandma are filled with afternoon swims, lazy hammock naps, reading endless books, and beautiful gardens nestled around a magical house. Just like her gardens, her homes, her paintings, and her daughters, she left everything in her path a little more beautiful, including my memories.

Forever, I will think of her when I see a lovely garden, an easel, and when I see the beautiful details in life.