Sue Reiss. NPS photo.

It is with great sadness that we report the death of Sue Reiss, supervisory facility operations specialist for George Washington Carver National Monument. Sue passed away on Saturday, October 31st, following a long battle with cancer. She was 47 years old.

Sue was born in Cresco, Iowa, and graduated from high school in Harmony, Minnesota. She attended Vermilion Community College, where she earned a degree in parks and recreation.

Sue began her National Park Service career in 1982 as a seasonal laborer at Golden Spike National Historic Site. In 1985, she accepted a post at the Jefferson Expansion Memorial and served there for the next ten years. In 1995, she took the position of maintenance worker at Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site. In 1999 Sue transferred to Pipestone in her native Minnesota and was eventually appointed as acting maintenance supervisor. She joined the management team at George Washington Carver in 2005 and helped steer us through several challenging projects, including a multi-million dollar expansion to the park’s visitor center.

Sue is survived by her husband, John, and her son, Keith.

Funeral services for Sue will take place the next two Saturdays. On November 7th at 10:30 a.m., services will be held at St. Stephen’s Parish Catholic Church in Chester, Iowa. On November 14th, services will be held at St. Canera's Catholic Church in Neosho, Missouri, at 11:00 a.m.

Sue Reiss served the National Park Service admirably for over twenty-five years. She was a person of integrity, character, and courage who was loved and respected by many. Her presence will be missed at George Washington Carver National Monument.

Contact Information
Name: Jim Heaney, Superintendent