Susie Cedelia Marquez

November 11, 2020

Susie Cedelia Marquez got her wings on November 11, 2020. Susie was born on August 14, 1946. Her parents John and Carmen Marquez preceded her in death. Not much is known about Susie’s early years. The Arc of Pueblo became her legal guardian in 1980 when she was living at the State Home and Training school for people with developmental disabilities. When the Arc staff arrived to meet her on December 4, 1980, she noted only one staff person was working and taking care of a total of 25 other female residents on that floor. She also noted that Susie only had a bed sheet and one tattered blanket on her bed. Susie was quickly moved out of the institution and into the Pueblo Regional Center shortly after this visit at age 34. She needed extensive dental work, cataract surgery and other medical interventions such as seizure management. Susie progressed both mentally and physically and was eventually placed in a host home where she continued to thrive. She loved the State Fair, going on picnics, shopping, and her Pepsi. Most of all, she loved being a part of a family. In her later years, Susie moved into a staffed home with Colorado Alternative Residential Enterprises where she received excellent care until her passing. Suzie was not someone who was well known in the community, she had no known family other than her parents who were listed on a birth certificate and it is not known at what age she was placed in the institution which was sadly common during that era. Susie was not able to talk but found creative ways to let you know what she wanted. A favorite story to illustrate this was when Susie began going to a day program in the community, she would take off running when she got off the bus. The staff would safely get her back inside but sure enough, the next day off she would go again always in the same direction. Finally, we decided to let her run to see where she was going. We had several people tracking her to make sure she was safe. Two blocks away she entered a neighbor’s back yard and got on their swing set. Every day in the bus she would see that swing set and just wanted to swing. We bought her a swing set the next day for her home and she never ran again. Susie was a heroin for surviving institutional life during those dark days and The Arc of Pueblo would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation for the many caregivers who gave her a wonderful quality of life when she left the institution. A celebration of her life will be held at a later date.