Susan Ellen Mournian

Susan Ellen Mournian, 79, beloved mother to 4 children, 1 grandson and many grand puppies and grand kitties, passed away peacefully on April 17, 2025, Holy Thursday, at her home in Portland, Oregon following a year on hospice care.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Mary Elizabeth Arehart (nee Huber) and Alphonse Jacob Arehart, and siblings Carol, Jeannie, Adele, Betty, and Ed. She is survived by her siblings: Jack, Bob, Fred, Marilyn, RuthAnn, Kathy, Alan, and Nick; and by her daughter Gerri (Bill Maietta), sons Basil, Luke (Heather) and Andrew (Satoko)Mournian, and grandson Kyle Mournian.

“Susie” Arehart was born at Louisville General Hospital, KY on May 3, 1945, the 11th of 14 children. She spent early childhood in Kentucky where her father owned Arehart’s By-Pass Restaurant. They later moved to Sebring, Florida where she attended school through the 12th grade. A high achiever, she was Salutatorian of Sebring High School’s Class of 1963. She was also very artistic and in the school plays. She also designed and sewed many of her own clothes.

Susan attended St. Vincent’s Nursing School in Jacksonville, Florida. Here she found her true life’s calling as a healer.

Following the completion of her RN degree, she met John Mournian, whom she married on March 17, 1967. They made a life together in San Diego, CA where Susan gave birth to Geraldine, Basil, Luke, and Andrew between 1971 and 1981. Susan delighted in being a mother. She did not work as a nurse during our childhoods, although her nursing background kept us safe and in good health. She sang to us and read to us. She sewed our clothes, and she taught her daughter how to sew and make patterns. She had a strong Catholic faith and raised her children the same. She taught us to be curious and supported our creativity. She taught us how to grow into resilient and independent in beings. She seemed to inherently understand that each of her children had unique needs, and she did all she could to meet each child where he/she was. She modeled to us through her acts of service to neighbors and friends in need, on how to be good humans.

After her marriage to John ended in 1993, Susan returned to Nursing. She worked in Med-Surg Inpatient, and in Outpatient clinic, but her love was in Psychiatric Nursing. She spent many years with Scripps Health in San Diego working with the mentally ill. In 2005, Susan moved to Portland, OR and bought her very first house, which is where she lived until her death. She worked as the lead nurse at Southwest Community Health Center until she was just shy of 70, by which time she had lived with a diagnosis of Sjogren’s syndrome for several years.

As Sjogren’s symptoms began to impact her energy level, Susan retired. She became actively involved in her faith community at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, where she attended Mass most days. She was part of the Eco-Justice Ministry and attended Bible study. She got a library card and was a voracious reader of all genres until her eyesight failed her. She spent hours in the garden, tended tulips and jonquils in spring, and grew strawberries, tomatoes, and other fruits all through the growing season. In her sewing room, she spent much time creating. During the COVID pandemic, she sewed many masks. She learned how to use her iPad to communicate with her kids, who lived out of state, and to tell us her history so that we might remember it.

Through her last decade of life, Susan worked extremely hard to maintain her independence, but her Sjogren’s became increasingly limiting. On May 3, 2024, Susan enrolled into the Kaiser Hospice program. This last year of her life was quite a journey for Susan. There were many hard moments, softened by moments of tenderness and love. Her hospice team was a tremendous part of how she lived another year. And typical of this mom and nurse, Susan spent the last year of her life in service. She made sure that her children were ready before she said her last goodbyes to us on Earth, even as each passing day was a labor: of physical suffering, of love, of dying, of hope and of forgiveness.

Susan had hoped to live until her 80th birthday. She did not quite make it to May 3. We suspect it was because she wanted to celebrate Holy Week and Easter 2025 in Heaven with her God. Throughout her life, Susan had had a fascination with angels, and she had amassed quite a collection of angel ornaments around her house. Now she is one among them. Rest in Peace, Angel Momma!