Sue Valikonis

May 24, 1946 - May 22, 2021

Sue Valikonis (Archibald), longtime Santa Barbara-area resident, passed away Saturday, May 22, 2021 surrounded by family. Sue was raised in beautiful Santa Barbara, where her adventurous spirit proliferated. After high school, Sue took a camping trip to Colorado and fell in love with Steamboat Springs and decided to go to college there. In Steamboat she formed friendships and connections that would continue for the rest of her life. Sue was a lifelong traveler. Her first big trip was to Guayaquil, Ecuador after college where she worked at Colegio Americano. It nearly gave her mother a heart attack to send Sue off on a rickety airplane out of LAX to what was then a very foreign destination. But Sue was fearless and it was a life-changing trip as it led her to her next big adventure in Brownsville, Texas, where she met her husband, Bill Valikonis, and had her two boys – John and Bill. When her husband Bill died, Sue went back to school to become a nurse. After obtaining her degree, Sue packed up, and moved back to Steamboat Springs. Here she found her true calling as a school nurse at Soda Creek and Strawberry Park Elementary schools where she was beloved by children, and peers alike. Later, she moved back to California and worked at Montecito Union School and Cate School in Carpinteria. Students would sometimes make up an illness just so they could spend the night in the infirmary with Nurse Sue. At Cate, Sue’s beloved dog Henna was her constant companion. When she wasn’t stealing tri-tip from the kitchen, Henna could be found sitting in Sue’s convertible Cabriolet waiting for the next adventure! The adventures continued throughout her life with travels to Africa, China, Thailand, Australia, Mexico as well as being a true “road warrior” domestically. The brightest light in her life was her grandchildren, Sia and Lylas. Grammy and her girls had the best of times doing art, having sleepovers and sharing love. Sue never complained, she was always cheerful, no matter the circumstances. We share her loss with everyone who knew her. Sue was a bright light in this world – a true original. We will all miss her happy nature, easy smile, playful spirit and generous heart. She is survived by her son John Valikonis, grandchildren Sia and Lylas, siblings Robert Archibald, Sally Hertzog, Charlotte Hall and Cece Hall, niece Ashley Hertzog. Sue will be laid to rest next to her son Bill at Carpinteria Cemetery on June 5th. at 11:00 AM. A Celebration of Life will be held at Toro Canyon Park afterward.