Suzanne Reese

After a 63-year-long resilient journey, Suzanne Valerie Simard Reese passed away from heart failure on August 15, 2026. Suzanne didn’t let her lifelong health problems keep her from building a beautiful and full life.

She was born to Victor Louis Simard II and Marjorie Lee McCowin in Hayward, California, on December 21, 1962, the youngest of six children. She spent most of her childhood in Hacienda Heights, California, before moving to Logan, Utah, at age 14. She graduated from Logan High School and soon after married the love of her life, Robert Owen Reese. Together, they had five children, whom she loved fiercely. Her nine grandchildren were the light of her life. She thrived on being “the fun grandma.”

She earned an associate’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Utah State University. She became known for her paranormal romance series ExtraNormal, historical fiction Where Hearts Prosper, and for her writing on Substack under the pen name Rosie the Resister, for which she developed a loyal and kind-hearted fan base.

Suzanne’s health journey was marked by extraordinary challenges and resilience. Born with a hole in her heart, she defied early predictions, growing up to become a mother of four before going into heart failure at age 29 and undergoing open-heart surgery. Remarkably, she went on to have one more child. Twenty years later, she was diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer, likely caused by radiation from her earlier treatment, and despite being given only a 10% chance of surviving three years, she lived another seventeen. After completing years of cancer treatment, she developed long COVID, which brought its own lasting challenges. Seven years later, radiation-induced heart failure ultimately claimed her life. Through it all, Suzanne met each challenge with remarkable strength, determination, and hope.

Suzanne is preceded in death by her parents Victor and Marjorie; and sister Barbara. She is survived by her loving husband, Robert; her children, Jennifer (Michael) and their children Ethan, Raegan, Jocelyn, and Logan; Daniel and his children Lainey, Walker, and Beckett; Whitney (Josh) and their children Logan and Nova; Natalie; and Brandon. She is also survived by her siblings Victor, James, Diane, and Carolyn, as well as many treasured nieces and nephews.

Suzanne’s life may be considered short by some, but in her words, she felt she not only won the game but the whole lottery.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, September 11, 2026, at 10:30 a.m., with a visitation prior from 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., at the Murray Armory, 246 East Myrtle Avenue, Murray, Utah 84107.

A livestream of the service will be available on Suzanne’s obituary page at tatemortuary.com