Capers, Susan K. 1952-2018

CAPERS, HEFFNER, BRANCATO, OSBORN

Posted By: Marilyn Norris Holmes
Date: 8/24/2018 at 09:10:50

Smith Funeral Home Online Obituaries
Grinnell, Iowa

SUSAN K. CAPERS
July 20, 1952 - April 17, 2018

Susan Heffner Capers passed away peacefully on April 17, 2018 at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, August 25th at the Grinnell United Methodist Church with Pastor Dave Crow officiating. Interment will be at Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell. A reception will be held in the Friendship Center of the United Methodist Church.

Visitation will be held prior to her service from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at the church.

Memorials may be designated to Drake Community Library or to Grinnell Regional Medical Center and mailed in care of the Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 368, Grinnell, Iowa 50112. Memories and condolences may be shared with Susan's family online at www.smithfh.com.

Susan was born July 20, 1952, in Grinnell, to John Willard and Grace Kathleen Heffner. She attended Grinnell High School and later, Drake University where she majored in music studies.

Music was a family passion. Her mother, Kathleen, played the organ at the Grinnell Methodist Church for over 50 years and played for innumerable weddings and funerals. As a girl, Susan often accompanied her and went on to become an accomplished musician and operatic singer, performing throughout Iowa and the Midwest as a young woman.

She married Fred Wallis Capers on November 9, 1974, in Princeton, New Jersey. She and Fred returned to Grinnell in 1977, after the birth of their triplets, to make a home for their young family. Family was most important to Susan and she dedicated herself to her children, especially Andrew, who was brain injured at a young age.

Fred and Susan later owned Town Square Travel, where Susan could often be found planning the "trip of a lifetime" for a customer. Travel was a joy for Susan throughout her life and she shared it with her family and friends. She planned an epic world tour in 1985, traveling with her husband, children, mother, sister and aunt throughout Europe and the Middle East. She went on to travel throughout the U.S. and abroad up until her death. She loved Cape Cod, a place that held many happy family memories for her. She especially treasured her last trip there where she loved seeing her grandson take his first flight and first steps in the ocean.

Later in life, she was a dedicated volunteer for the Iowa Democratic Party and was very proud to cast her vote for the first female presidential candidate.

Susan was a beloved wife, mother, godmother, grandmother and friend. She embraced life with all its ups and downs and continually gave back to her family and community. She was preceded in death by her husband, Fred Wallis Capers; sons, Justin Matthew Capers and Andrew Michael Capers; and Father, John Willard Heffner. She is survived by her daughter, Celeste Capers Brancato and husband James (Ben), along with two grandsons, Maxwell and Alexander; sister, Cynthia Love Osborn and Mother.