Susan Beth Blake

Susan Blake, age 76 of Purlear, NC passed away Monday, October 31, 2022 in San Diego, CA after a three year battle with colon cancer, while taking a last trip to see her children and grandchildren. 

Born in Cleveland, OH she was a daughter of the late Vernon and Elsie (Kocarek) Gottschalk. Sue graduated from Oberlin College 1968 and soon after met the love of her life Ken Blake. They were married in 1969 and after exploring the ways of the world across the country for a few years they found hope through some Bible studies and in 1973 together they were baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist church. Besides home schooling her four children, Sue would also teach in Adventist schools in New Hampshire and North Carolina and Ken would graduate from seminary and become a pastor. Together they devoted their lives to church ministry. Sue loved cooking and teaching people how to live a healthy lifestyle, she also loved working with children and spent many years helping and leading various Adventurer and Pathfinder clubs. 

Sue is survived by her husband of 53 years, Ken, of Purlear, NC; sons Chris of Lakewood, FL, and Andy of Gulfport, MS; daughters, Heather (Rob Born,) of Santa Cruz, CA, and Melissa (Paul Kosinski) of San Diego, CA; foster daughter Ann-Marie Jones Jensen of Hendersonville, NC; brothers Gary Gottschalk of Bedford, OH and Jim Gottschalk of Chicago, IL; granddaughters Madeline Blake of St. Joseph, MI, and Zofie Lou and Mila Sue Kosinski of San Diego; grandson Beau Louis Born of Santa Cruz, CA and step-granddaughters Elery and Ivy Born of Santa Cruz, CA. Sue will also be deeply missed by a number of nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws.

Funeral services will be 1:00 PM Sunday, November 13, 2022 at Statesville Seventh-day Adventist Church in Statesville, NC and will also be live-streamed on the Statesville SDA Church Facebook page. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. A private burial will follow in Pine Grove Cemetery on Buffalo Shoals Road. 

Memorials may be made to Holbrook Indian School, 2001 McLaws Rd., Holbrook, AZ 86025.

Online condolences may be made at PinesFunerals.com.