Suzanne Geneva Harper and John Charles Crew

Suzanne Geneva Harper

On December 20, 2018, I lost my wife and best friend, Suzanne Geneva Harper, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.  We met as students at the University of Oregon and were companions for over 50 years.  Suzanne was an artist, poet, dancer and musician.  As a teenager, she interviewed presidential candidate Henry Cabot Lodge for her school newspaper and considered a career in journalism.  She graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Comparative Literature and then attended the University of Oregon to study art.   She excelled in sculpture, painting, print making and especially drawing.  For me, she was both a model and a muse.

 She competed in many poetry competitions at Wenatchee Valley College where her insightful and sometimes cutting views of society were unique and enjoyed by many.  She studied classical East Indian dance (temple dancing) and performed with a professional dance troupe.  She played the cello and was a drummer for our local belly dancers. 

 She served as a board member of Cascade Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and Robert Graves Gallery.  Many details must be left out,  but Suzanne will surely be remembered for her grace, poise and beautiful smile.

 She was proceeded in death by her parents, Paul and Dorothy Harper, and her brother Richard.  She is survived by two sisters, Claudia Cockerham of Leavenworth, Nancy Roy of Canada, and her husband John Crew, who thanks her for a wonderful life. 

 John Charles Crew

 On March 10, 2019, John went to join his beloved Suzanne.  John was born December 19, 1939, to Violet and John Crew in Chelan, Washington.  He received a BA in Art from Central Washington University and a Master of Fine Art in Sculpture from the University of Oregon.

 After living in California and Hawaii, John and his wife Suzanne moved back to Washington where he operated the CREW Gallery near the Space Needle in Seattle.   John and Suzanne moved to Wenatchee in the 1990s.  He was gallery coordinator and president of the Board of Directors for the Robert Graves Gallery at Wenatchee Valley College for 10 years.  He guided the large sculpture “Praying Mantis” to the campus.  He served as trustee for the Cascade Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in East Wenatchee.  Of his many accomplishments there, he was most proud of the Meditation Garden.  He designed it, gathered the natural stones from the nearby hills, and built it.

 John is survived by his sisters Linda Crew of Chelan, Madeline Rae Jensen of Anaheim, California,  and Joan Lester of Manson; niece Susan Lester, nephews Russell Lester and Wyatt Lester all of Manson, and a niece Lyn Maren Jensen in California. 

 There will be a sharing of memories April 28, at 1 p.m. at the Meditation Garden of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in East Wenatchee.  If you wish to donate, give to the Unitarian Fellowship.