Susan Kay Fordyce Obituary
Susan K. (Miller) Fordyce, 81, of Elkhart passed away peacefully on Wednesday October 23, 2024 at Elkhart Meadows.
Susan was born on December 23, 1942 in South Bend to the late Alonzo Miller and Alberta (Johnson) Thout.
Susan was a beautiful, resilient, independent, and compassionate spirit. Her soul was a manifestation of her hard work, kindness, and unwavering love of life and others. Her beliefs, values, and desires were modeled in her devotion to her family and faith, beginning with God.
Susan devoted her life to helping others, whether working with differently-abled people, volunteering with Prison Ministries, or offering her time at local schools, churches, and the communities in which she lived. Her determination to better her community was also a valuable part of her life, as demonstrated by her goal of becoming a county auditor.
Susan was a passionate advocate for education. She attended high school at Riley High in South Bend, earning her GED. She later attended college at Andrews University in Berring Springs, MI, and Ivy Tech in South Bend. Susan earned several certifications in Food Services. Her ethics, values, and morals showed through her continual pursuit of growth.
Susan was a dog groomer, owning her business for over 10 years. She also worked in various fields, including White Hall Laboratories and served as a head custodian for Goshen Schools for over 12 years, as well as Custodial Maintenance Manager for Wichita State University for over 8 years. She took pride in her work, recognized her responsibilities, and welcomed new ideas, which made her a positive asset wherever she worked.
Susan loved playing Euchre, traveling, and cooking. She enjoyed listening to Gospel, Classical, and Oldies music and was always full of life and laughter. Susan had a gift for making others laugh and spent many hours improvising comedy, bringing joy to others around her.
Susan spent much of her time devoted to her family, her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, leaving behind cherished memories of their travels, weekend outings and quality time spent together.
Susan is survived by her children; Suzette (Morrie) Eastham, Patricia (Paul) Montanari, and Gary Fordyce as well as her grandchildren: Jimmie (Jen) Reed, Jeremy Reed, Lyndsey (Adam) Platz, Amanda (Chris) Hepner, and Samantha (Justin) Richardson. She also leaves behind 9 great-grandchildren as well as her sister; Sharon Hogle.
Susan was preceded in death by her parents, her son: Larry Fordyce, and her siblings: Sandra Miller, Pete Miller, and David Miller.
Family and friends deeply loved her beyond what words convey. Our hearts and minds will forever be filled with memories of love and laughter that will last throughout our lives.
Visitation for Susan will be held from 4pm-6pm on Monday October 28 and from 10am-11am on Tuesday October 29 at the Palmer Funeral Home-Guisinger Chapel, 3718 S. Michigan St. South Bend. A funeral service will be held at 11am on Tuesday at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Southlawn Cemetery, South Bend.
If anyone wishes to support the fight against the disease that took her memories and her life, donations to the Alzheimer's Association are greatly appreciated.
Alzheimer's & Dementia Services of Northern Indiana 111 Sunnybrook Ct., South Bend IN 46637 Tel: 1-888-303-0180.
