Susan Mary (Sell) Deaner passed away on November 4, 2017.  A loving wife, sister, aunt, dear friend and mentor to so many, she will be remembered for her savvy business skills and huge heart.  Susan was born in Algoma, Wisconsin on September 10, 1953 and attended St. Mary’s grade school and Algoma High School.  She earned a Communications Degree at the University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee. 

Susan began her illustrious career in advertising and publishing in Chicago with Fox & Associates and The Pattis Group.  It is there that she met her loving husband of 35 years, Scott Deaner.   After moving to Houston in the early ‘80s, Susan became the publisher of Houston Home & Garden magazine.  Other local magazines, Houston Metropolitan, Our Kids, The University of Texas Health Science Center news letter, also benefited from her sharp abilities and publishing expertise.  Her protégés at these publications remain a loyal part of her “magazine family.”

Upon retirement from publishing, Susan founded Deaner & Associates, a coffee and tea brokerage business, along with her husband Scott. She then used her sales and artistic abilities to begin another successful company, S. Deaner Leather, a handcrafted leather bowl business.  Even with such a busy professional life, Susan spent many hours in volunteer service. She enjoyed driving patients to Houston’s Medical Center and gave her talents generously to Career Gear and The American Cancer Society.

Susan is survived by her dear husband, Scott Deaner; brother Dennis Sell, brother’s and sister’s- in- law Jeff and Jacky Deaner, Christine and Van Head, nieces and nephews Josh Deaner, Keith Warren, Jenna Florea and Sean Head. She was preceded in death by her parents, Elmer (Babe) and Mayme Sell.  Including her many friends in Houston, Susan leaves behind friends in Silverthorne, Colorado, where she and Scott lived for part of the year. 

A Celebration of Life will be held on December 6, 2017 at the Bradshaw-Carter Memorial & Funeral Services, 1734 West Alabama in Houston. Visitation begins at five o’clock in the afternoon with a service at half past six o’clock in the evening. An additional celebration will occur later this year for friends and family in Colorado.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Houston SPCA where she adopted all her loving pets, including her current cat Lucy.

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