Susan L. Henry

Susan L. Henry, 62, of Des Moines and formerly of Mason City, passed away Friday, November 11, 2022, at Kavanagh Hospice House in Des Moines, Iowa. Susan was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2020. Metastases slowly transformed her over the next twenty months, but she never slowed down. She kept selling plots at her dear development “Village on the Ridge” and volunteering at the caucuses. As a chemo patient during the pandemic, she did infusions alone at the hospital and then spent long days laying low with her senior dog, Lucy. Before she died, she oversaw the emotional sale of her son and daughter-in-law’s house–Susan’s former home on Beaver Avenue–and gave them her blessing on a new nest in Minnesota. She hosted one last recital reception in the spring to celebrate her daughter’s flute students. Susan picked out a puppy for her husband, Joe, and named her Poppy. In July, she began hospice care. We will celebrate her journey at a visitation, held Saturday, November 19, 2022, from 12 pm to 2 pm, with a memorial service to follow at 2 pm at Hamilton’s Southtown Funeral Home, 5400 SW 9th Street in Des Moines.

Susan was born June 18, 1960, in Guttenburg, Iowa. The daughter of Lyle and Lorraine (Freilinger) Mackey, she was the third born of what would become their big Catholic family of eight children. Susan shared a bed with big sister Chris. She would eventually give her daughter the middle name “Christine,” a nod to her childhood bedmate. “Full of vinegar,” Susan was known to be a little naughty, setting the Advent Wreath on fire with brother Doug and lying in the middle of the street waiting for traffic just to terrify the neighborhood kids. She told her little sisters the truth about Santa! As a teenager, Susan channeled this fire into teaching herself to do the splits in less than a week. This got her onto the Drill Team at LeMars Gehlen High School, a spot she was tremendously proud to have earned.

In 1976, just before Susan’s junior year of high school, the Mackey family moved from LeMars to Mason City. It was at Newman Catholic High School that she met Daniel Weiss. They fell in love and were married at St. Joseph’s in 1980. Susan was grateful to become an aunt and daughter-in-law in another enormous Catholic family, the Weisses. Her in-laws lovingly called her–and still call her–“Suemackey.”

Daniel and Susan made each other laugh. They took college courses and worked fun jobs in the mall as they adjusted to life as a twosome. During those first years, their tiny apartments were sanctuaries for Jill, Jennifer, and Carey, Susan’s little sisters who were finding their way as adults. Throughout their 29 years of marriage, the Weiss home was filled with music, art, antiques, and globally-minded thinking. Their doors were open to anyone craving political and social discourse or just a really good meal and lots of laughter.

When they were first married, Susan and Daniel got a kick out of taking Susan’s baby sister Katie out into the world. They were practicing. Eventually they would raise Susan’s greatest source of love and pride, her two children; sensitive, critical-thinking artists: Simon, a landscape designer and master woodworker, and Hannah, a flute teacher with a doctorate in musical arts.

Creative and resourceful Susan sewed her kids’ Halloween costumes, made homemade birthday cake frosting, and stuffed their hand-stitched Christmas stockings to bursting with surprises curated especially for each child. Her dear brother-in-law Tom and sister Ann were always right there celebrating. Susan championed Simon and Hannah’s childhood obsessions with skateboarding, drawing, cars and machines, flute lessons, basketball, nail polish, and *NSYNC. Mothering her adult children would look like adopting their love for plant-based food, their partners, their careers, and their dear pets.

In 2013, Susan married Joe Henry and, with him, enjoyed the simple things. They built and maintained a thriving realty partnership and supported civil rights organizations and issues impacting the community. Susan was tickled to adventure with Joe on cruises, at the White House where they met Barack Obama, and in the streets where they marched with Bernie Sanders. They delighted in watching their four kids find partners and carve out their paths. Through both joyful and difficult times, they treasured early morning conversations in the living room, gardening, having their children over, and taking the dogs out for walks.

Throughout her life, Susan was drawn to jobs that had her crossing paths with all kinds of people. She worked at the movie theater when she was a teenager and young adult and when her children were young, she had an in-home daycare. A love of fitness led Susan to management positions at Farrell's eXtreme Bodyshaping in both Waukee and Southside Des Moines where she inspired countless members. Her love of beautiful objects and tasteful design led her to a career in real estate; it was her approachable personality, tireless compassion, and boundless curiosity which brought her success and purpose.

There are so many things we will miss about our Susan. But we are all so grateful for her laugh, her hugs, her cooking, and her thoughtful gift giving. We are better people because Susan was part of our lives.

Susan is survived by her husband, Joe Henry of Des Moines: her son, Simon (Ava) Weiss of Bloomington, Minnesota; her daughter Hannah Weiss of Des Moines; two stepsons, Zachary (Emily) Bales-Henry, and U.S. Army Sergeant Jacob (Megan) Bales-Henry of Ft Riley, Kansas; her mother, Lorraine Mackey of Mason City; six siblings, Christine (Mark) Althoff, Douglas (Sharon) Mackey, Jill (David) Campbell, Ann (Thomas) Weiss, Carey (David) Nisi, and Katie (Arian) Schuessler.

Susan was preceded in death by her father, Lyle Mackey; a sister, Jennifer M. Scholl; and, her first husband, Daniel Weiss.

Condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

Print