Suzi Watson

Sue Ann “Suzi” (Griffin) Watson, 78, of Sublette, Kansas, passed into the arms of her Savior on Sunday morning, October 18, 2026, at her home in Sublette.

Suzi was born on March 10, 1948, in Lubbock, Texas, to Meryle B. and Dickie Darleen (Cook) Griffin. In 1963, her family relocated to Kansas, where she attended Sublette schools, graduating from Sublette High School in 1966. Following graduation, Suzi pursued her passion for the arts at Fort Hays State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She continued her education at the University of Oregon, earning a Master of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in costume design.

During her graduate studies, Suzi received the Amoco Award of Excellence, presented by Amoco Oil Company, in recognition of her costume designs for the theatrical production of “Our Town,” which later became part of a United Service Organizations (USO) tour. Her talents also led her to work for a Shakespeare repertory theater company, where she designed and produced costumes for productions that toured nationally.

Suzi eventually returned to Kansas, where she reconnected with a former classmate, Lloyd Marshall Watson. The two were married on November 10, 1975, in Fountain, Colorado, in a ceremony officiated by a friend who was a Methodist minister. Following their marriage, they made their home in Sublette, where Marshall continued farming alongside his father while the couple built a life together. They were blessed with three sons, Nicholas, Matthew and Jeremiah. Suzi devoted herself to raising their boys and creating a loving home, bringing her creativity and artistic talents into everyday family life. With a mother trained in costume design, the Watson boys were certain to have some of the best Halloween costumes around. Her remarkable sewing abilities extended well beyond costumes, as she designed and constructed beautiful wedding gowns and prom dresses for many young women, including members of her own family.

For Suzi, art was never limited to a classroom, theater or studio. She loved working with clay and throwing pottery, sewing, drawing and adding color wherever she could. Her purse often held a collection of colored pencils, ready to be pulled out whenever she had a few moments to pass the time. To Suzi, adding a little color was a way of making something ordinary beautiful. Her love of theater continued throughout her life as she later designed and created costumes for productions at Garden City Community College, including “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Her talents were also frequently on display at the local county fair, where she entered pottery, artwork, sewing projects and even her cooking, often earning blue ribbons for her efforts.

Suzi also spent many years working as a substitute teacher in the local schools. Following the sudden loss of the high school art teacher, she stepped in to teach art for several years, sharing her knowledge, creativity and appreciation for artistic expression with another generation of students. Tall and graceful, Suzi carried herself with an elegance reminiscent of a dancer. She had a way of seeing beauty in the simplest things and believed that nearly everything in life could be a form of art. Whether she was creating an elaborate costume, shaping a piece of clay, teaching a student or simply adding color to a page, Suzi approached life with an artist's eye and a creative spirit.

Just as art was woven throughout her life, so was her deep and abiding faith in God. Throughout her life, Suzi was actively involved in vacation Bible schools, Sunday schools and Bible studies, always eager to learn, share and grow in her faith. She and Marshall were instrumental in the life and ministry of Seeds of Hope Church. Her love for the Lord was an important part of who she was and how she lived.

Suzi is survived by her husband of 50 years, Marshall Watson of Sublette, KS; three sons, Nick Watson and wife Elisabeth of Sublette, KS, Matthew Watson and wife Alison of Sublette, KS, and Jeremiah Watson and wife Julie of Nashville, TN; 10 grandchildren, Micah, Dinah, Emma, Kael, Alexander, Eva, Dalilah, Malakai, Everly and Pierce; a sister, Lydia Darlene Carson and husband Brian of Alva, OK; two brothers, Donald Griffin of Oklahoma City, OK, and Mac Griffin and wife Kit of Sublette, KS; and many nieces and nephews who held a special place in her heart. She is preceded in death by her parents, Meryle B. and Dickie Darleen (Cook) Griffin.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at Weeks Family Funeral Home & Crematory in Sublette, KS, where the family will receive friends during that time.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at Sublette Christian Church, with Pastor Cory Barnett of Seeds of Hope Church officiating. Interment will follow at Haskell County Cemetery in Sublette, KS.

Memorial contributions may be made payable to Seeds of Hope Church in memory of Suzi Watson and mailed in care of Weeks Family Funeral Home & Crematory, P.O. Box 1200, Sublette, KS 67877. Condolences may be left for the family at www.WeeksFamilyFuneralHome.com.