36
LAGUNA BLANCA SCHOOL
SUSANNE ELIZABETH
COLLIER-LAKEMAN ’76
Susanne passed
away April 1, 2014
surrounded by family
at Simi Valley Hospital.
She began her career
as a ballerina studying
with Maria Kedrina
and made her stage
debut at the Lobero
Theatre at the age
of 4 in the children’s
Parpignol Chorus of
the Santa Barbara Civic Opera Association production
of La Bohème. Susanne continued her ballet training
with Ernestina Fenzi, Tamara Usher (Kinsell) and at
the Hanlin Studios. She was a principal dancer with
the Santa Barbara Ballet Theatre, directed by Tamara
Usher, performing such roles as Queen of the Wilis
in Giselle and the Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, both
at the Lobero and on tour. Concurrent with her ballet
career, she studied the piano with Louise McDermott
and Lloyd Browning, and took part in a summer class
taught by Reginald Stewart at the Music Academy
of the West. Susanne was educated at the Howard
School, Laguna Blanca School, and Westmont College,
graduating in 1980 with a double major in english
Literature and Ballet.
Following her stage career, Susanne pursued
graduate studies at the Shakespeare Institute,
University of Birmingham, England where she earned
her master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Renaissance
Studies. Her thesis was entitled Theophanies in
english Plays: 1600 – 1640. While in england, she
taught for Westmont College’s Semester in England
and at the London Program for the University of Notre
Dame.
Returning to the United States, she taught for
three years at the University of New Hampshire,
Durham before joining the faculty at California State
University, Northridge in 1990. She was promoted to
associate professor in 1994, and granted tenure in
1996. In 1999, she was the recipient of a University
Ambassadors Polished Apple award and in 2001 was
promoted to full professor.
She was a member of St. Francis of Assisi
episcopal Church in Simi Valley where she served as a
lector.
Susanne is survived by her sisters Mary
Blackwood Collier and Sarah Collier Heatwole; three
nieces, Mary Phyllis Heatwole Duplissis, Elizabeth
Collier Heatwole Coppins, and Anna Bell Heatwole;
and three grand-nieces, Sara Jane Coppins, Piper
Grove Coppins, and Amelia Adele Duplissis.
JULIANNE WARD NELSON ’86
Julianne Ward Nelson lived her 45 years with beauty,
generosity, joy, and love. Born in Oslo, Norway on July
15, 1968, Julianne grew up in Los Angeles, graduated
from UCSD and received her Juris Doctorate Degree
from California Western School of Law. An avid
equestrian and world traveler, Julianne married
Marchus Nelson of Napa in 2005. A member of the
California Bar Association, Julianne worked most
recently as a planner for the City of Napa, where
she helped craft the long-range plan for downtown
redevelopment. She was active in her neighborhood
association, her children’s school, and charities
raising money for cancer research.
Julianne’s friendships, many of which spanned over decades and
continents, flourished from her warmth and grace.
Julianne died February 5, 2014 after four years striving to create as full a
life as possible for her family while courageously managing cancer. She defined
herself not as a patient, but rather by her devotion as a wife, daughter, sister,
aunt and friend — and especially as the mother of Adam (8) and Matthew (5)
whose care she put before all else.
Pamela Brinks ’86 adds, “Julianne’s classmates will miss her joy, laughter,
and smile. She was a wonderful person.”
Memorial contributions
to assist Julianne’s
family can be made
payable to:
UBS Financial Services
703 Trancas Street
Napa, California 94558
Please include a memo
reading “Julianne’s
Memorial Fund.”
Donations also can
be made to her sons’
school:
Blue Oak School
1436 Polk Street
Napa, California 94559
Please note your
donation is
“In Memory of Julianne
Ward Nelson.”
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