Susan Marie Erickson Parks was born on July 14, 1948, in Warren County, Ohio, and passed away unexpectedly on February 17, 2023, at Riverside Hospital in Newport News, Virginia. Susan was the daughter of Arnold Erickson and Ella Mae Cribbs Erickson, both of whom have passed away.

 Susan is survived by her loving husband of 46 years, James F. Parks; her step-children, Captain Steve Parks, USN stationed in Budapest, Hungary; Deborah Parker of Virginia Beach, Virginia; Nancy Heck of Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Susan Bowers of Chesapeake, Virginia. She is also survived by her siblings, Paul Erickson of Zephyrhills, Florida; Debra Barrickman of Ashtabula, Ohio; and Candy McKinnon of Auburn Hills, Michigan; and four grandchildren Michael, Lily, Ryan, and Grace.

 Following her father’s footsteps, Susan joined the Navy in 1974 and served in Washington, D.C.; New Orleans, Louisiana; and San Diego, California. She was honorably discharged in 1979 and then worked as a Deputy Project Manager/Project Manager for several companies supporting the U.S. Navy. In 1988, she joined the government as a civil servant. She worked at the Agency for International Development as a Program Analyst/Program Manager, where she traveled the world to countries including England, France, Italy, Greece, Haiti, Georgia, Guatemala, Germany, Belgium, Japan, China, Philippines, Thailand, and many more. Susan retired in 2008 from the Government and moved to Smithfield, Virginia.

 Susan was loved by her family and friends and will always be remembered for her kindness and thoughtfulness toward everyone she met. She was always willing to help members of her family, friends, and neighbors. The world has lost a beautiful person.

 A memorial service for Susan will be held on Thursday, March 2, 2023, at 2:00 pm at the Cypress Creek Clubhouse, 604 Cypress Creek Parkway, Smithfield, Virginia. A reception will follow the service. Online condolences may be registered at www.SturvevantFuneralHome.com. 

 The family is requesting that in lieu of flowers make donations to two charities that were important to Susan: Guiding Eyes for the Blind, an organization that provides guide dogs to people with vision loss, and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which supports the families of first responders and military personnel.