SHAPLEIGH- Susan Dunn Koda, warm and loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend passed away peacefully and surrounded by her family on June 15, 2024 after courageously facing pancreatic cancer.
Susan was born on April 5, 1952 in Stamford, Connecticut, to John J. and Marie Dunn. From an early age, she formed a special bond with her Irish-born grandmother, Mary Catherine Keeley, who instilled Susan’s love for Ireland, along with its music and literature. Susan spent her high school years in Mayo, Ireland, where she graduated from Gortnor Abbey Secondary School, deepening her connection to her Irish family and heritage. She then returned to the U.S. to pursue the first of her three degrees in nursing and health and human services, marking the start of her lifelong commitment to caring for others.
With a heart full of kindness and compassion, Susan devoted her life to caring for those in need, especially the underprivileged and overlooked. Through her long career in nursing and substance abuse counseling, she touched countless lives, always guided by a desire to serve others and her ability to see the best in everyone.
Family was at the heart of Susan’s life. She shared a life of love and partnership with her husband of 50 years, Walter, with whom she planned and nurtured the gardens of their beautiful Victorian farmhouse in Brookfield, NH. She was a devoted mother who took great pride in their three children, sharing with them her love of music, history, reading, and gardening. She was thrilled to welcome her long awaited and much-loved first grandchild, Eleanor (Nell), and looked forward to the joys of being a grandmother. Susan also treasured her large extended family, including her siblings and her many nieces and nephews and their children, whom she cared for deeply. Family gatherings were always important to her, and she valued the sense of closeness and support family brought to her life.
Susan had a vibrant sense of humor and was always quick to laugh, even at herself. Outside of her healthcare career, her passions were creative. From a young age, she was a gifted guitarist and singer who believed in the healing power of music, often incorporating it into her nursing care to bring joy and comfort to her patients. When not playing music or tending to her flower gardens, Susan could be found trying a new recipe, participating in community theater, capturing moments behind her camera, or searching antique shops across New England for hidden gems.
Susan cherished spending sunny September days with Walt during their annual trips to Lieutenant Island on Cape Cod, decorating her Victorian home with era-appropriate art and antique treasures, her collection of 18th and 19th century bisque dolls, enjoying a cold plate of fresh oysters, a vodka soda, and joining in on a session of traditional Irish music and song.
Susan is survived by her loving husband, Walter, and their children and children’s spouses, Melissa Koda and Brian Bjørn, Philip Koda, Meghan Koda and Justin Thibault, and by granddaughter Eleanor Koda Thibault. She is also survived by her siblings, Kevin Dunn and wife, Suzanne; Laurie Dunn; and Barbara McAleer; her many nieces and nephews; and bonus granddaughter, Rozelynd LaChance. She is predeceased by her eldest brother, Jim Dunn, and his wife, Diane.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, September 21 at 12:00pm in the Wellfleet Preservation Hall, 335 Main Street, Wellfleet, MA. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hospice of Southern Maine, who provided compassionate care to Susan and support to her family during her transition from this life to the next. (https://www.hospiceofsouthernmaine.org/donate)
Arrangements have been entrusted to Chad E. Poitras Cremation and Funeral Service, Buxton, www.mainefuneral.com