NEW BEDFORD — Susan Berry, 68, of South Dartmouth, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 22, 2013, surrounded by her family. She is now home with other loved ones.
Susan was born to parents Dr. Franklyn D. Berry and Alma Berube Berry on March 2, 1945.
She is the beloved mother of four children — Christine Cheney and her husband Dallon of Ashburn, VA, Jeffrey W. Bates and his wife Alexandra of Vienna, VA, Selena Spell and her husband David of South Dartmouth, and Miriam Bates of Alexandria, VA — and the beloved sister to Christine Berry of South Dartmouth and F. Wilton Berry of Denver, CO. She also leaves a loving partner, Paul T. Meagher of Westport. She has 13 grandchildren, one expected great-grandchild, and two nephews.
Susan was raised in South Dartmouth, attended Dartmouth High School, and earned a B.S. in Biology from UMASS-Amherst in 1966. She taught middle and high school biology in Massachusetts and Alaska, was an at-home mother for 14 years, and later worked as a court reporter for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Susan was known for her energetic, fun personality, unfailing advice and listening ear, generosity, intelligence, relaxed outlook, and great patience in difficulty. She was an avid reader, loved sailing, playing bridge, RV-ing with her grandchildren, traveling, birds and dogs, and she enjoyed cooking, gardening, and her hot tub. She always had a project going. She especially loved being a mother and grandmother. She nurtured her children all her life, and "Mimi Sue" was always planning outings and fun activities to do with her grandchildren; they loved her for it and for her young-at-heart spirit. She gave an amazing example of how to live and die. She met disease head-on with courage and determination to enjoy life to its fullest, as she had done throughout her life. When the end came, she met it with equanimity and grace. Her family recalls many tender moments with her before she died — they will miss her so very much.
Family and friends attended a memorial service at the Wilson Funeral Chapel, New Bedford on May 25. Susan was laid to rest at South Dartmouth Cemetery.
Memorial donations to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation at www.themmrf.org