Carpenter, Susan 62, of Prescott, Wisconsin passed away peacefully at the end of August. She was born in a small town in south central Wisconsin, and grew up in Madison during the 60's and 70's. Sue attended the University of Arizona for her first year of college, then transferred back to the University of Wisconsin, Madison to earn high marks and a bachelor's degree in education (behavioral disabilities). She loved her college days, recounting endless stories of being a Badger during Madtown's heyday (e.g., being body-passed to the top of the Camp Randall bleachers on football Saturdays, State Street Halloweens, Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority dances). Sue loved having fun then and always would! After graduating and a short stint working with special needs adults, Sue's free spirit swept her and her best friend into the Colorado Rocky Mountains - their plan was to work banquets at the Keystone Ski Resort lodge for the upcoming ski season. She fell so completely in love with the mountains and the active, but laid-back Summit County lifestyle, however, that she stayed for the next 4 years filled with skiing, camping road trips, biking and hiking along the Continental Divide and many concerts at Red Rocks in Denver. She was, and forever would be, a very hard and dedicated worker who never shied away from the task at hand and rather, would plunge right in and get it done. That, coupled with her sunny smile and quick laugh, made her a favorite at the resort, working multiple jobs there and ultimately managing food and beverage operations at the Mountain House, the large restaurant, cafeteria and bar at the base of the resort's main ski area. Even work, though, held an occasional adventure as Susan would recall hitching moonlit (near vertical) rides in the SnoCat groomers to get down the mountain after waitress shifts at the mountaintop restaurant and white-knuckling her way through blizzards up "the Pass" to get to her A-Basin bartending job on time. She made many close friends in Colorado but one turned out to be closer than others. Working on the big, unruly coffee machine in main lodge kitchen at Keystone, Sue, the banquet waitress, and Charlie, the Garden Room waiter and husband to be, banged into each other and the spark of their lifelong romance was struck. The two soon moved back to Madison, Sue pursing a degree in nursing (a dream since being a teenage candy striper at Madison General) and Charlie one in law. Upon graduation, they moved to the Twin Cities where Susan commenced a long, varied, successful and satisfying, near 32 year run as a registered nurse. Sue was a natural at it - hardworking, smart, good natured and with a bedside manner of a saint. Her fearless appreciation for new experiences/challenges led her through a career which began with cardiac care at a large Minneapolis hospital and thereafter included acting as charge nurse at a small hospital in Hastings (oftentimes single-handedly managing its emergency room, obstetrics ward and elder care facility all in the course of a shift), endoscopy/diagnostics, pre and post op (PACU) nursing at several well established orthopedic surgery groups in the Twin Cities and finally concluding with Sue excelling as a rare and chronic disease case manager for several national health insurance companies. Sue's knowledge gained from all that experience was amazingly broad and she routinely put it to good use helping friends and family through all sorts of medical issues. Notwithstanding, her nursing accomplishments, it was those Susan was closest to that she treasured the most, her dear family being paramount. She invested the whole of her heart, spirit and energy in her children. She loved them without reservation, she was their champion, cheerleader and counselor, always ready to go to bat for them. She boasted happily of their accomplishments and felt a deep pride and contentment seeing them grow to be thoughtful, kind adults. She was also devoted to her many, many friends (included her beloved Labradors . . . and most every other dog that crossed her path none left unpatted). With a warm, outgoing and caring manner, quick wit, ready laugh and bright smile, she made friends of most she met, drawing many close with her extraordinary empathy, honesty and strength. The love and support you friends gave us this last year and a half moved Sue to tears often - our deepest thanks to each of you. She'll be sorely missed by all of us, including her Luna, her sweet little black lab puppy. We all love you so much Sue! Susan is survived by Charlie, her adoring husband and very best friend of near 38 years, her loving children Charlie, Sam and Emmie, her mother and father Mary and Russ, loving siblings Sara and Scott, as well as many loving in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at 2:30 pm on Sunday, October 9, 2022 at Joy Lutheran Church in Prescott, Wisconsin. A celebration of Susan's life will follow the service that day at the Hastings Golf Club in Hastings Minnesota, where family and friends are invited to gather for food and drinks from 4:00 - 8:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Animal Ark - Minnesota.