Susan Piester Belemjian, 70, of Sanford, FL passed away at home on January 10, 2024 after battling ovarian cancer for 10 months. Sue was born December 16, 1953 in Hudson, New York to Ken and Marion (Coon) Piester. She grew up in the Hudson River Valley in New York and graduated in 1971 from Germantown Central High School. She carried on the family nursing legacy by continuing her education at Albany Medical Center School of Nursing. While attending Nursing School, she met and later married Michael Belemjian on July 20, 1974. As Sue always said “nurse meets pharmacist”, a love story that lasted almost 50 years.
Sue’s gifts of compassion and care for others was manifested in many ways. Her nursing career spanned over 46 years. In addition to working in pediatric intensive care and obstetric hospital units, Sue also volunteered as a child advocate by serving at her boys’ school as PTA president. She later spent 15 years volunteering at the Alpha Pregnancy Center where she found great joy in serving women and children by performing ultrasounds for unwed mothers and teaching classes for new parents.
Sue’s Christian upbringing spawned future years of local ministry involvement where she utilized her leadership and administrative gifts in her church communities. She taught Bible studies over several years and cultivated meaningful relationships along the way. Her sacrificial years as primary caregiver for her aging parents inspired her most recent work with the Senior Group at Central Church in Sanford, FL. Her personal faith in Jesus Christ was a source of strength and comfort. She was always ready to acknowledge the “God-things” as she saw God’s hand at work in her life and in the lives of others.
Sue had a love for all things Disney and started vacationing at least yearly at Disney World with her family in 1983. She worked at the Disney Store part-time in 1993. There were many years where she became a collector – Beanie Babies, McDonald’s Happy Meal Toys, and Disney Pins. Summers were spent at Cape Cod with family and friends. Once her grandchildren were born, they became her passion. Tea parties, Disney Cruises, overnights at Disney World and sand castles at the beach. She enjoyed being “Grandma”.
Sue was preceded in death by her father Kenneth Piester. She is survived by mother Marion, husband Michael, son Paul; his wife Rachel, son Brian; his wife Karisa, grandchildren Allison, Natalie, and Grayson, sisters Tricia Piester and Carol (David) Wellendorf, and many other extended family members.