Susan “Sue” Steffey Davies died on July 2, 2022, in Berlin, Vermont, after a long battle with cancer. Sue was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 3, 1945, to Margaret (Lee) and Charles Steffey. Sue attended Cleveland Heights High School, where she was a cheerleader and sang in the choir. Sue earned a bachelor’s degree in math at DePauw University in 1966. While completing her master’s in education at Penn State University, she met Wayne Davies, whom she married in the campus chapel in 1970, and with whom she would spend the next 45 years. The couple moved to Waitsfield in 1973, and Sue taught math at Harwood Union Middle/High School for the next 30 years. After retirement, Sue continued to pursue her public service calling as a volunteer librarian at the Joslin Memorial Library.
Sue will be remembered for her persistently positive attitude and resilience. Rather than harbor resentment or grudges, or dwell on what could and should have been, she directed her energy and faculties onto what was in her control, and subsequently, didn’t focus on the negative. Sue’s patience, selflessness, and curiosity made her an amazing listener, and the kind of grandmother who, in order to connect with her grandchildren, read Harry Potter and studied Pokémon in her spare time. Discipline and determination were also defining characteristics of Sue, evident in the hours-a-day she’d spend weeding her flowerbeds and gardens, and in her 25 years of performing with Mad River Chorale, on whose board she also served.
Sue’s greatest joy was spending time with her grandchildren and family and hosting them at her home each summer. She loved watching her grandkids splash around the pond, absorb themselves in art projects on the porch, and oscillate for hours between picking apples and swinging from the maple tree in her front yard. Sue cherished her network of loyal, generous friends with whom she loved going on long walks, skiing, and on many a summer night, enjoying dinner, conversation, and the view of Camel’s Hump from her porch. Sue rarely declined an opportunity for new experiences and adventure, even into her later years: She hiked and explored Europe and the western U.S. after retirement, summited Mt. Katadin at 65, and attended her first Phish concert in 2019.
Although Sue was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2018, she was determined to not have her life defined by the diagnosis. Despite setbacks like breaking her neck as a result of the cancer that year, Sue maintained her trademark positivity and perseverance right to the end. She literally NEVER complained and on the rare occasion she mentioned her illness, she immediately followed it with, “But I feel fine, and I can still do everything!” as if to give reassurance that she was, in fact, fortunate. Up until last year, Sue regularly bought a Sugarbush season pass and skied throughout the winter. Sue framed her ongoing weekly chemo appointments of the last four years as enjoyable outings: They were opportunities to have lunch on Lake Champlain, and the car rides to and from Burlington were a chance to catch up with friends who graciously accompanied her to many of her infusions and procedures.
Sue was grateful for the constant love bestowed on her from her closest friends and family members, particularly in her final days. It’s hard to witness the emotional as well as physical toll an illness like terminal cancer takes on someone who was once so vibrant. It speaks to the character of the friends Sue kept in her life, that you continued to show up and offer your love, humor, and homemade soups until the very end. And it speaks to Sue’s character that you treated her so well.
Sue is survived by her son, Brian Davies of Boise, Idaho; daughter and son-in-law, Erin and Geoff Cole of Kensington, Maryland; brother, Chuck Steffey of Portland, Oregon; grandchildren, Natalie, Benjamin, Isabel, and Margot Cole; and many nieces and nephews.
Sue was preceded in death by her husband, Wayne Davies; parents, Margaret and Charles Steffey; and nephew, Brett Waite.
A celebration of Sue’s life will be held in July, 2023. More details to come.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Mad River Chorale (https://madriverchorale.net/order-here/) or National Breast Cancer Foundation (https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/about-nbcf/)
