SUSAN CONNELLY

1946 - 2013

Connelly, Susan (Burns)
67, died on May 19, 2013 at her home in St. George, Maine. Susan was a writer, a scholar, a musician, a walker, a voracious reader, a quilter, and a friend. She was born on May 4, 1946 in Worcester, Mass., to Lillian Peterson Burns and William Burns. She graduated from Clark University, and earned an advanced degree in Classics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She was a quick-witted and learned woman. An accomplished classical scholar, the art of translation interested her deeply. Language was a source of endless fascination; she loved Shakespeare and had a broad knowledge of English and American poetry. Susan vacationed on Matinicus Island and in Tenants Harbor during her working years. In 2006, after retiring from a career at a statistical agency, she moved from Duxbury MA to the coast of Maine. In the years that she lived in St. George, she forged strong friendships. She volunteered for the Jackson Memorial Library, was a member of the Rockland Shakespeare Society, and writers groups. She loved all music, especially traditional folk music. Her early morning walks in the Maine countryside inspired many of her hand-stitched quilts. Susan doted on her cats, Dexter and Quinn, and with them enjoyed watching the wildlife and birds attracted to her apple tree. Susan was the author of the Nell Prentice Detective mystery book series and a book of short stories. She participated in book readings and local literary events. She was a woman of profound wisdom; a rock of good sense and a loving friend. Susan is survived by her two brothers and her sister.