Susan "Suzi" Ann Clifford

Susan “Suzi” Ann Clifford, 68, of Phoenix, Arizona passed away on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. A native Phoenician, Suzi was born on October 3, 1956 and was one of five children to parents Francine “Fran" (Goettsch-Clifford) Logan (4/30/1998) and Robert Crawford Logan, Sr. (6/18/1998). She was preceded by brothers James Clifford, Jr. (2013) and Christopher Logan (1973). She is survived by her brothers, Michael Clifford (Patricia) and Robert Crawford Logan, Jr. (Cindi); nieces Jenifer (Clifford) Darland (Greg), and Rebecca (Logan) Drew (Don); nephews Craig Clifford, and Robert Crawford Logan, III (Emily); three great-nieces; four great-nephews; and her beloved spunky pup, Kizzie Mae. 

Suzi graduated from Arcadia High School in 1974 and later began a long and successful career as an escrow executive before leaving the profession and entering early retirement in 2008. She was often commended for her strong leadership and care for her team, client service and meticulous attention to detail, and her deep understanding of Arizona’s real estate sector. She credited her work ethic and commitment to conducting business with integrity to her dad, Crawford; always recalling the instructive wisdom he passed to his children, even in her final hours.

Like her dad, Suzi was a voracious reader, her wits making her ridiculous at puzzles - always the first to solve the Wheel of Fortune clues, much to the vexation of competitive companions. Suzi was also an artist, with an exceptional eye for balance, color scheme, and quality textiles. If she didn’t see something she liked, she designed it. She created meticulous needlepoint projects - floral and patterned pillows, detailed Christmas stockings - and dabbled a bit with making lampwork glass beads in a studio that would be the envy of any artisan. And her collection of cookbooks and various cookware is a testament to her cullinary skills. Suzi was known to keep her pantry - and freezer - amply stocked and on the ready for her family’s favorites, like her hash brown casserole or her Harvey Wallbanger cake.

No matter the limitations of space in her home, Suzi was a master at creating a warm and inviting atmosphere, layering colorful patterns and textures with family heirlooms and curated collections. Making a her home a welcoming place, especially at Christmas, was a life-long homage to her mom, Fran. And like her mom, Suzi believed in the magic of Christmas to bring together those she loved. Christmas was Suzi’s jubilee. Her generosity rivaled only by weeks spent decorating multiple trees with a remarkable collection of ornaments, and strands of lights - supported by an impressive inventory of extension cords - that illuminated every corner, bringing to life magical vignettes that delighted guests and family, especially young wide-eyed nieces and nephews. 

Suzi didn’t know a stranger, always warm and inviting to those she met, though she was a shrewd judge of character; her spidey sense was rarely wrong. Friends and good neighbors counted on her counsel, camaraderie, kindness and keen sense of humor. But no company was of greater import or comfort to her than that of her family. Suzi came from a long line of strong matriarchs, and when the duty eventually fell to her, she carried the role in her own generous and loving way. Near or far, she was the arms around our family, the outreached hand of support, and her brothers’ dedicated and protective sentinel. She was our family’s archivist, both literally and figuratively. Whether supported with generations of photographs or simply by her impeccable memory, Suzi could trace all the various branches and twits within our family tree. She knew by heart the root of our collective and individual beginnings, the storms that tested and threatened to break us, and she was the steadfast guardian of the tender mercies that have always held us together. Suzi was a sister and sister-in-law, aunt, niece, and dear friend, but those who know her best know the title that meant the most to her was that of devoted daughter. In these early days without her, there is comfort in knowing she is once again beside her parents.

No one prepares you to write an obituary, let alone close one for someone so anchored in your beginnings that to think of a world without them creates an ache so deep, words and breath cease to exist. So you walk her spaces, and you touch her things, you sit in the rooms and marvel at her attention to the small and wonderful, and ask, “What would Suzi want us to remember as we learn to carry on without her?"

And in the wee small hours of the morning, you find the ethos of her life nestled within the curated collections in each room, on the shelves of her bookcases, and in the unpacked boxes of holidays past: “Believe. Be kind.”

Anything for you, Suzi. Love you to the moon and back. Forever.

Our family will hold a celebration of life in the future. In lieu of flowers, we humbly request donations be made in Suzi’s memory to any organization that inspires and supports kindness in your community.