Susan Maren (Baier) Davis, born on Dec. 20, 1947, in Kirkland, Washington, passed away peacefully with family holding her hand on Aug. 6, 2024, in Grayland, Washington at the age of 76.

Susan was born to Ervin Baier and Paige Sorensen-Baier, and has one brother, Raymond Baier. Her mother, Paige, succumbed to breast cancer when Susan was only 5 years old and her father got remarried to her stepmother, Doris.

Susan grew up in the Juanita area of Kirkland, Washington, where she graduated from Lake Washington High School in 1966. She eventually moved to the Yakima area where she loved the dry climate and resided for over 40 years. In 2012, she and her husband Donald retired and moved to Arizona for a few years, then in 2018 they returned to Washington to be closer to family again and settled in Grayland.

Throughout her life, Susan embodied a spirit of adventure and curiosity that took her to the farthest corners of the globe. She traveled throughout Europe, amazed by the castles of Ireland and Scotland and fell in love with the country of France. Her desire to experience the more exotic parts of the world took her from South America, navigating down the Amazon River to Australia’s outback and the indigenous Aboriginals. One of her favorite expeditions was to Papua, New Guinea, where she befriended the tribes of the jungle and even attended a head-hunting ceremony. Her desire to explore was fueled by experiencing cultures vastly different from her own.

Susan had a varied professional career as well. For several years, she shared a successful real estate broker’s office, Lester Realty, located in Yakima. Then, as her daughters both reached school age, she decided to transition careers and became a dedicated school bus driver for the East Valley School district. After her children were both grown and started families of their own, she changed direction again and joined her husband to create Blue Ribbon Transport, specializing in car repossession. This was probably her favorite career of all, as she loved the thrill of being the “repo lady” and never had a shortage of new repo stories to share.

But above all, her greatest passion was horses. From an early age, she showed a love for her horses and, when she lost her mother so young, horses became her world. Her first real job was at the horse track, walking hot horses after their races. Throughout her life, she became an accomplished trainer, breeder, and competitor in the quarter-horse world. She achieved Pinnacle success in the AQHA show circuit winning several world champion titles.

Susan was a loving wife and best friend of Donald Davis, who preceded her in death in 2022. She had two daughters, Michelle and Stacy, and three stepchildren, Stephanie, Lysa, and Donald Jr. She also has seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Susan leaves behind a legacy of adventure, resilience, love, and remarkable achievements that will continue to inspire all who knew her, to be the best possible version of themselves. A memorial and celebration of life will be planned at a later date for family and close friends to honor her life.

Arrangements are under the care of Harrison Family Mortuary.