Suezann “Sue” (Staats) Knoedler Leafgren passed away on the evening of May 13, 2026, at the age of 92. She was born on March 12, 1934, in Chicago, Illinois, to William and Hazel (Watkins) Staats. In 1938, at the age of four, she relocated with her family to Denver, Colorado, joining extended family who had previously settled there from Massachusetts. She was a graduate of North High School in Denver, class of 1952, where she participated in girls’ softball.

Sue demonstrated a strong work ethic from an early age. During her high school years, she served as a long-distance telephone operator and worked in sales at WT Grant department store. On October 27, 1955, she was united in marriage to John Knoedler in Topeka, Kansas. Together they operated the Rocky Mountain News distributorship in Greeley, and in 1982 founded the Talk Shop, an early retailer of cellular phones and emerging communications technology. She also served for fourteen years as a secretary for Purina in Lucerne, Colorado, and held positions at several automobile dealerships in Topeka and Boulder over the course of her career.

Sue and John were married for forty years until his passing on November 8, 1995. On August 31, 1997, she was married to William Leafgren at the Eaton Evangelical Free Church, a congregation that reflected the sincere faith she held throughout her life.

Among her greatest joys were travel and time spent with her children and grandchildren. Whether journeying to visit family or taking in the beauty of the Colorado mountains she loved so dearly, Sue was most at home when surrounded by those she cherished and the landscapes that inspired her.

Sue was preceded in death by her parents, William and Hazel Staats; her first husband, John Knoedler; her second husband, William Leafgren; and her half-sister, Joyce Swarry.

She is survived by her brother, Richard (Barbara) Staats; her daughters, Cyndee (Steve) Norman and their children Jason, Bekah (Canaan) Reeverts, and Zach (Megan); and Vickie (Gene) Anderson and their children Haley (David) Grigg, Taylor (Libby), and Logan. Also surviving are her sons, Larry (Jane) Knoedler and their children Matthew (Jenny), Jonathan (Kayla), and Timothy (Emily) Knoedler; and David (Kendra) Knoedler and their children Sara (Timothy) Maul, Hanna (Hunter) Pickering, Jacob, and Alison Knoedler. Sue is also survived by 11 great-grandchildren.

Sue Leafgren leaves behind a legacy of faithful service, industrious spirit, and devoted love for her family and community.

A funeral service will be held on Friday, May 29, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at the Moser Funeral Service Chapel, 3501 11th Avenue in Evans, Colorado.