An Arlington 60-year-old who died in a five-vehicle wreck on the Capital Beltway last week is remembered by many for her kindness and vibrant spirit.
Family, friends and acquaintances recall Suzanne K. “Suzie” Colbert as a world traveler, a devoted football fan, a “beam of pizzazz” and a “ray of sunshine with a contagious smile and a zest for life.”
“She was outgoing, adventurous, bold, and fun-loving, but she was also kind, caring, thoughtful, and helpful … touching the lives of family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and complete strangers,” Colbert’s sister, Jodi Kemp, wrote on Facebook last week.
Colbert was the lone fatality in a July 21 crash on the Capital Beltway. Her vehicle, which was stopped in the express lanes, was struck from behind by a pickup truck near Braddock Road in Fairfax County, according to Virginia State Police.
After Colbert’s vehicle was struck, the truck then rolled and initiated a “chain reaction crash” involving three other vehicles, police said. Three others sustained life-threatening injuries.
Colbert was pronounced dead at a local hospital, nine days before her 61st birthday.
Working for United Airlines as a flight attendant, Colbert was referred to as a “true globetrotter.” A glance at her online presence affirms her wide travels, including recent visits to Paris and Barcelona, plus what appears to be a photo with the late Pope Francis in Vatican City.
No matter where her travels took her, Colbert had no problem finding a friendly face, Barbara Kanninen, a friend of Colbert’s and a former member of the Arlington School Board, wrote.
“Once, I was on a long flight and she suddenly appeared beside my seat with champagne and chocolates from first class,” Kanninen wrote. “I’m sure she was breaking the rules, but she was a little bit subversive that way.”
Colbert’s obituary highlights her service-minded approach to life, which included a four-year sabbatical from her work to teach English to students of different nationalities. She was also active in local political organizing.
“Meeting new people wherever she went, Suzie desired to serve others. No matter one’s skin color, religion, age, ethnicity or education, Suzie was there for you,” her obituary reads.
“As an advocate for peace and justice, she fought for social and political causes and wasn’t shy about sharing her viewpoints. The D.C. area was particularly fascinating to her and she jumped headlong into the fray, often pedaling her bike to wherever the action was.”
As a practicing Catholic, Colbert was heavily involved in her church. On many of her travels, she could be found “visiting the great churches and cathedrals of the world.”
“I’m sure that her spirit is out there in the heavens, scattering joy and nudging the world towards peace and social justice for all,” Kemp wrote.
A celebration of life for Colbert will be announced at a later date.
