Susan “Sue” Diane Griffin Wendel
Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend
Sue Griffin Wendel, 63, died Friday, October 11 at Regions Hospital surrounded by her family, including her grandchildren.
Sue was born November 11, 1960, in Ames, Iowa to Mary Jo McDowell and Alan Griffin. Sue had three sisters, Julie, Steph, and Connie. She spent the majority of her childhood in Iowa before moving to Lincoln, Nebraska to finish out her high school diploma.
Sue moved to Minnesota where she had one child, Kelsey, her pride and joy. After separating from her first husband, she met the love of her life, her best friend and partner in crime Bradley (Brad) James Wendel. Brad brought with him three more children and they created a patchwork family that was stitched together with the love and joy that Sue and Brad shared together.
Sue worked at UnitedHealth Group for over 20 years and built deep friendships with so many people she met along the way. That’s likely one of the things that most people will take with them about Sue. She was able to make friends anywhere. She was a vibrant, vivacious, deeply loving person who you could always count on for a smile and an extra long hug.
Sue loved adventures with her family but most of all she loved spending time with her grandchildren! She also enjoyed playing pickleball with her friends, scuba diving (but only in warm water), water skiing on Deer Lake and Grindstone Lake, enjoying a good glass of wine, and you could always find her in the front row dancing to live music.
Sue is survived and deeply missed by her husband Brad, her daughter Kelsey (Andy), her three sons Eric (Kristine), David (Ashlee), Thomas, her five grandchildren Ellis, Sophia, Leon, Rosie, and Owen; as well as her mother Mary Jo, and two of her sisters Stephanie and Connie, and her great uncle Charles (Chuck) Griffin.
Sue was preceded in death by her father, Alan, her sister, Julie, and many many beloved friends.
