Sue Ellen Krick was born Dec. 30, 1958, in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was called home unexpectedly at age 65 in her sleep at her Tampa, Florida, home June 4, 2024.
In Los Angeles in 2001 she married Omar Olson, formerly of Luverne, Minnesota. The couple were married over 23 years. They had hoped to retire year-round to the Luverne area but for Sue Ellen’s asthma preventing the move.
Her parents were Stanley Joseph Krick and Shirley Marie Landry. At 10 Sue Ellen’s family moved from New Orleans to Tampa but stayed close to maternal roots in New Orleans.
She truly was gifted – an incredible combination of her devoted parents’ strengths – her mother’s outgoing, sparkling personality, cooking skills and care for felines coupled with her father’s intellect and dedication to civic leadership, church and volunteerism. Two of her beloved maternal uncles were extremely prominent civic leaders of deep impact in New Orleans and Los Angeles. Sue Ellen’s life followed family footsteps.
She was a top academic scholar, graduating from the University of South Florida in criminology and earning a master’s degree in public administration. In late 1982 she became a pioneering female deputy sheriff in Tampa’s Hillsborough County. A neighbor recounted her racing to rescue a little girl from an assailant before her backup could prevent her from injuries requiring hospitalization. Later that girl whose life was saved grew up to be a nurse. Sue Ellen told her neighbor, “They could hurt me, but they weren’t going to hurt that little girl.” That was Sue Ellen.
She excelled in earning her law degree in 1992 at South Texas College of Law Houston and passed the Florida Bar Exam. She practiced for over 30 years in fields of disability and social security, insurance defense and finally in Sarasota in condominium and homeowners association law. She also headed civil litigation for a time at her firm. When she taught weekly as adjunct professor of law at Tampa’s Cooley Law School, she regularly topped student rating surveys.
Early on and again much later, she stalled her career to care for an ill parent at home until their life end. Sue Ellen was a caregiver of selfless love – a woman of deep faith who was and is secure in God’s love.
Her passions encompassed New Orleans cooking, love for and rescue of cats, vintage film and traveling.
She is survived by her loving husband, her beloved younger accomplished sister, Stacie Evans (Eric), and dear niece Emma, as well as by many other adored family.
A celebration of life is planned for later. In lieu of flowers, a donation to a favorite charity or St. Francis Society Animal Rescue (Tampa) will honor Sue Ellen’s life so well led.