Susan Lynn Leek Perkins, 58, of Whitehall, MT passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by her family on September 1st, 2026.

A memorial service will be held in her honor on Saturday, October 10th, at 1:00 p.m. at The Bridge Church, 608 N. Jackrabbit Lane, Belgrade, MT.

Susan was born in Deer Lodge, MT on November 5th, 1967. She attended Powell County High School before moving to Gallatin County, MT where she graduated from cosmetology school in Bozeman. Susan spent the next 25 years of her life working in salons in Belgrade and Bozeman. She met several other cosmetologists who quickly became family and remained so long after she left the industry.

After leaving cosmetology, Susan worked as an activity aide at Gallatin Rest Home for a decade. She loved each of her residents and enjoyed bringing a bit of light to their lives in many small ways every day.

In 2022, her daughter and son-in-law, Jessie and Josh, finally convinced Susan and her mom, Barb, to sell their condo in Belgrade and move to Whitehall. After learning that there isn't enough insulation in the world to keep camper lines from freezing in Montana prairie winter winds, Susan and Barb moved into Jessie and Josh's living room for six months while waiting for the ground to thaw enough to finish their house.

In June of 2023, two months after finally moving one hundred feet away into their own home, Susan was blessed with her first and only granddaughter, Allison Elizabeth Denny. Jessie was quickly moved down the priority list, and Allie learned she could get anything she wanted by smiling and saying "Nana."

Susan loved her family, both those she was related to and those she chose. Once you were in her circle, there was no leaving. Years could pass, and the friendship would pick up exactly where it had left off. She was selfless, kind, and joyful. Always happy to laugh, and never once complaining.

She loved camping, hiking, four-wheeling, fishing, and staring into campfires while patiently roasting marshmallows to the perfect golden brown. She was an expert at "redneck engineering" to build whatever chicken coops and rabbit hutches her daughter decided they needed that week. Susan loved backroad exploration and long road trips with lots of snacks. She was somehow always able to alert the rest of the car to "MOOSE!", even while seemingly asleep in the backseat.

She hated being cold, so during Montana's long winters she was content to read by the wood stove, work on her numerous embroidery and cross-stitch projects, or expertly patch together quilts, table runners, and anything else she thought of.

She is survived by her mother, Barbara; her brother, Peter; her daughter, Jessie; her son-in-law, Joshua; her granddaughter, Allison; and more friends and family than any of us can count.