Susan HOUGHTON

HOUGHTON, Susan Susan Martin Houghton, 54, of Greensboro, NC, passed away peacefully on Monday, July, 21, 2014. She died as a result of a recent head injury. Susan was born June 24, 1960, in Lexington, MA to Ruth Mallion Martin and Norman H. Martin, Jr. She was the valedictorian of Duxbury High School in Duxbury, MA and received her undergraduate degree from Yale University in 1982 and MBA and Ph.D degrees from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. After receiving her Ph.D in Strategic Management in 1993, Susan joined the Department of Managerial Sciences at the Mack Robinson School of Business at Georgia State University in the fall of 1993 and remained there until 2007, winning an award for outstanding teaching in the 2006-07 academic year. In 2007, Susan joined the faculty of the School of Business and Economics at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC. Susan was a leader in her academic field due to her contributions to research on managerial cognition and entrepreneurial risk taking. She was also very well known for her personal influence on students at all levels. Her mentoring of doctoral students and her personal interest in and encouragement of undergraduate students made her a universal favorite both in and outside the classroom. Susan embodied generosity of spirit and compassionate concern for others. Her network of friends was ever-expanding. Her courage and perseverance in the face of life tragedies was a source of inspiration to many who knew her. Her creativity in the classroom was matched by her artistry in quilting, writing, and music. Her spirit was often recharged by visits to the beach in the company of family and friends. And her soul was soothed by the beautiful piano playing of her beloved daughter, Julia. Susan's generosity continues. As an organ donor, her injury provided the gift of life to many people. Susan is survived by her daughter, Julia P. Houghton (of the home), her parents, Norman and Ruth Martin (of the home), her sister Gale (Ron) Hull of Athens, GA, and her former husband, Jonathan Houghton of Atlanta, GA. Her memory will also be cherished by her life partner, Hiram (Chip) Barksdale of Atlanta, GA and a host of friends and colleagues who will miss her smile and her indomitable spirit. There will be two memorial services to celebrate her life. The first will be Saturday, July 26 at 11:00 am at Inman Park United Methodist Church, 1015 Edgewood Ave., Atlanta, GA. The second memorial service will be held on Monday, July 28 at 11:00 am at College Park Baptist Church, 1601 Walker Ave., Greensboro, NC. A visitation after the service will be held at 21 Piccadilly Circle, Greensboro, NC. Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of your choice. The Houghton family would appreciate consideration of The Phoenix Dog Program, Southeast German Shepherd Rescue, P.O. Box 547, Morrisville, NC 27560, http://www.south eastgermanshepherdrescue.com or United Through Reading, 11772 Sorrento Valley Rd., Ste. 125, San Diego, CA 92121, http://www.united throughreading.org.