Susan Patricia (Stavinoha) Mosby

Susan Patricia Stavinoha Mosby of Lake Oswego, Ore., passed away Feb. 28, 2023, after a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s. She was born Jan. 12, 1947, in Temple, Texas to Henry John Stavinoha and Opal (Haley) Stavinoha. She was raised in Temple, Texas, graduating high school in 1964. She then graduated from the University of Texas, Austin with a B.B.A. and subsequently earned a M.Ed from the University of Oregon. In October, 1970 Susan met Robert Wade Mosby while he was in the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. On a blind date they went out to an old chicken shack in Driftwood, Texas called the Salt Lick Barbecue. Maybe there was something in that barbecue sauce, but most likely Wade was taken by the wonderful lady, Susan, who he clearly wanted to see again. That happened soon after, at the Officers Military Ball, when First Lieutenant Mosby proudly escorted Susan Stavinoha  to their unexpected seats at the head table. Susan continued to be impressed with Wade and they were married Aug. 21, 1971 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Temple, Texas. In 1973, Susan and Wade moved to Redding, Calif., where Wade worked for Kimberly Clark, while Susan worked at Shasta College until their daughter Mary Anne was born. Several years later they relocated to Roseburg, Ore. Wade was an executive with Roseburg Forest Products and Susan established her career teaching for ten years in the Business Department at Umpqua Community College (UCC). Their daughter, Mary Anne, remembers that while her mom taught at the college, it never got in the way of Susan taking her to school and being there every day to pick her up. “She was always, always there for me.” And as it turned out, it was somewhat the same for her UCC college students who she would delight in seeing and talking to while she was out and about in Roseburg. By the early 1990’s they moved to Lake Oswego for Wade’s job with the Collins Companies and Susan continued to find time for one of her passions-tennis. A skilled player, she competed in both singles and doubles. When she wasn’t wielding a tennis racket, she was turning her backyard, once covered in poison oak, into an oasis of roses and flowers. Her final product was surely worthy of a spread in Southern Living magazine. In addition to family, career, gardening, volunteering, and tennis, there was also Bunco and church crafts, resulting in a lifetime of joy and friendships. With her southern charm and grace, Susan also enjoyed being a hostess. But most of all, she was a wonderful wife and partner with Wade, and cherished being Mary Anne’s mom, supporting her daughter’s activities and friends. That carried over to her role as a consummate grandmother to her three grandchildren. While Susan and Wade traveled all over the world, they were particularly happy to be with their grandkids on special trips throughout the United States. Susan was preceded in death by her father, Henry J. Stavinoha. She is survived by her husband of 51 years, Wade; her daughter, Mary Anne Schaap (Jason) of Salem, Ore.; her grandchildren, Kolton Schaap, of Oakland, Calif., Taitum and Sawyer Schaap, both of Salem, Ore.; her mother, Opal Stavinoha of Salem, Ore.; and her sister, Karen (Merrill)Toms of Ocala, Fla. In lieu of flowers the family asks that you consider donating to the Susan Mosby Endowed Scholarship for students at Umpqua Community College. https://www.umpqua.edu/foundation  Indicate her name in the note and it will be directed to her scholarship. A funeral will be held for Susan at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, March 11, 2023, at Lake Oswego United Methodist Church, 1855 South Shore Blvd

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