Susan Kay McKenzie, 75, of Spearfish, South Dakota, peacefully joined the Lord on April 30, 2026, at Rolling Hills Healthcare Facility with her daughter by her side. She was born on October 12, 1950, in Vallejo, California, to Harold Eugene Hays and Norma June Hays (née McKenzie). The “pickle in the middle” between brothers Dennis and Ronald, Susan grew up an energetic and talented California girl. She was a strong student and active in her community, playing clarinet in her church band, participating in youth activities at church, assisting with her father’s Little League teams, and spending time surfing with friends.

After graduating from Hogan High School in 1968, Susan pursued a profession as a registered nurse. Early in her career, she participated in a mission trip to Guatemala, helping vaccinate children, and worked in emergency rooms in the Western U.S. She later found her calling in home healthcare nursing, where she dedicated much of her professional life. Susan married Stephen Michael McKenzie and, although they later divorced, they shared one daughter, Heidi.

Throughout her life, Susan lived and worked in California, Washington, Guatemala, Oregon, and Minnesota before eventually settling again in the California Bay Area. She spent her final two and a half years in the Black Hills of South Dakota, a place she deeply cherished.

Susan was known for her active church attendance, strong conservative political beliefs, love of cultural and community events, history and anthropology, music and dance, museums and elegant experiences, childlike enjoyment of holidays, and appreciation of the natural world. She also had a vibrant creative spirit, expressed through colorful fashion, frequent shopping trips to beautiful locations to scout for unique treasures, imaginative gift-giving traditions, and artistic flair.

She is survived by her daughter Heidi Marie McKenzie in South Dakota; close family friends Linda and Gary Smith, Andrea and Michael Surwill; and her beloved dog, Angus. She is also survived by her brother Dennis Hays, Aunt Doris Locke, nieces Janice Hays-Homen and Carice Hays, nephews Dan and Ross Hays, and extended family in California and elsewhere. Susan was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Ronald, and several beloved relatives and friends.

Arrangements are pending with Fidler-Isburg Funeral Chapels and Isburg Crematory of Spearfish. Online condolences may be written at www.fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com