Sue Kirwan, renaissance woman and force of nature, passed away on July 6, 2025 at 77 years old after a battle with cancer. Sue’s husband, sons, family, and dear friends will carry her vitality with us, always.
She was born Betty Sue Brandon in Madison, SD on January 11, 1948. But don’t call her Betty. It’s Sue. An Air Force brat, she grew up all over, yet her most loved childhood home was on Long Island, NY with her Grandmother Charlotte. She arrived in Opheim, MT - after a year in Bermuda, as a precocious teenager, and from then on, for the rest of her life, Montana was home. She was shocked by the starkness of the landscape and delighted by the people. This is when she met her “near sister,” Susan Captivill, and the Golden Girls.
She met Mike Kirwan at Glasgow Air Force base in northeastern MT. Once they got together, they were it for one another for over 53 years. Before their wedding in 1973, she spent time alone in Bozeman with Mike’s mother, Marion, forging a lasting bond with a woman she cherished. They moved east to Alexandria, VA for a time before he left the military and they settled permanently in Bozeman in 1973 to begin his private law practice and start a family. While he was the professional, she insisted (only semi-jokingly) she too had been practicing law for decades. Over the years, they grew and changed both as individuals and as a couple. No matter what life threw at them, they tackled it together.
In 1976, Peter was born, then Nick 18 months later in 1977. She was a fierce momma bear who often said being a mom was “the best job I ever had.” She felt she found her true purpose in being a mother and created a family based on her values of love, safety, security, integrity, and - of course - fun. Her booming, ‘big’ voice was so loud when she cheered watching us play soccer (Go, Peter! Go, Nick!), we told her she needed to learn some of the other boys’ names. Being her son meant she was always there for you. It also meant being less cool, less funny, less stylish, and less charming than your mother - but we didn’t care. We loved that about her.
There were always dogs in the Kirwan house and there always will be. She loved her red “doxies” (Muffin, Daisy, Lilly, Rosie) and all her other “poochies" (Riley, Cookie, Jax, Porter, Belle, Teddy, Maggie, Mozart, Bogart and Frankie).
After sending her boys off to college she became a (self-professed) Professional Recreator. She played tennis and pickle ball. She loved to play cards, to plant and nurture flowers, to bake and cook, to decorate her home, to take in the symphony. She loved to sew and knit and quilt. She was in two book clubs (Bookies & Nuevos). She took piano lessons for over 25 years, always hosting the Christmas recital at her home, often performing a skit. She was in PEO for decades and was a leader and friend - supporting their greater philanthropic mission with more than a little zest and personality. She loved her activities, but she loved the close friends she did them with much more.
She would say, “I love a plan, you know?” She was an amazing hostess who prepared completely in advance of any gathering as not to be distracted for a single moment from visiting when guests arrived. At Christmastime, her home was full of light, joy, and homemade cookies.
She was a lifelong learner and game for anything. In her 40s, she trekked in Nepal. In her 60s, she overcame her fear of water and rode a stand-up paddleboard on the Yellowstone River. She treasured experiencing new things, some that might even surprise you. She was a dead-eye pistol shooter and loved to “ring that steel.” She loved watching football, lifting weights, and Game of Thrones. But not camping.
She was quick-witted and outrageously funny. She was loyal and capable and kind yet could - on rare occasion, if need be - deliver a barb so savage it would silence any brut who misinterpreted her kindness for weakness. If you were in a foxhole in life, she’s who you wanted right there next to you.
She never stopped evolving and growing as a person, and as a woman. She often said she found her voice - her true confidence - later in life, which should be an inspiration for any of us who have misplaced ours or have yet to find it.
There will be a Funeral Mass at 11:00 A.M. on Monday, July 21 at Holy Rosary in Bozeman, which will be live-streamed at holyrosarybozeman.org/livestream. In lieu of sending flowers to the church, please consider a donation to Thrive or Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter in her name. A celebration of her life - complete with music, stories, and wine - will take place in the coming months.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com [dokkennelson.com]
