Susan M. Hamachek-Cannon

Susan M. (Hamachek) Cannon, age 70 of Santa Rosa, CA, formerly of Kewaunee passed away on June 26, 2019 in Santa Rosa.  She was born on July 7, 1948 on Escanaba, MI and spent her early years in Gladstone, MI.  At the age of 7, her mother became the Public Health RN for Kewaunee County and they moved to Kewaunee, WI, a beautiful little town on Lake Michigan.

She attended Holy Rosary Elementary School, graduated from Kewaunee High School in 1966
and entered into a diploma program at Milwaukee County Hospital, graduating as a Registered
Nurse in 1969. By 1970, she had joined the Navy, enduring the Great Lakes Boot Camp, a stint
in Long Beach and serving most of her time in the Aleutian Islands (ADAK). Again, she endured
—through near plane crashes, capsized boats, red alerts, volcanic eruptions and near tsunamis
on a desolate island with many challenges, held together by a close community and sheer will
power. She had the best nursing instincts, fostered early on by her mother and reinforced by
emergency decision making and no time to waste. Ultimately, achieving the rank of Lieutenant,
she also served in the Reserve Corps.

In 1978, she moved to Santa Rosa, working at Community Hospital. Enrolling at Sonoma State
University, she received her BSN and shortly thereafter began teaching at Santa Rosa Junior
College, mentoring seemed to be her natural calling. She had loved the Navy and teaching
corpsmen; it was a perfect fit. SRJC took it’s place. An unabashed workaholic, she
simultaneously held positions in Urgent Care at Kaiser Permanente and SRJC until her
retirement.

Susan was an incredible advocate for her patients and friends alike, and possessed an
unparalleled generosity of spirit. She was truly blessed to have spent her life surrounded by
the students, colleagues and friends that she cherished in a career that she loved.

She is survived by her sister, Ann Hamachek and many treasured relatives and friends.  She was preceded in death by her mother: Joan C. Hamachek and her brother: David Hamachek.

Please join us for a Visitation and Rosary at 10 am on Tuesday, July 30th, followed by a funeral
Mass at 11 am at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Kewaunee. Burial with full military will be in the parish cemetery

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the SRJC Foundation in Memory of Susan
Cannon, RN to support a nursing scholarship named in her honor: 1501 Mendocino Avenue
Santa Rosa, Ca 95401 (attn: Sarah Laggo).