SUSAN SHUTTLEWORTH

(nee Spence) July 15 1941-April 15 2025 Susan died on April 15th, after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer more than 10 years ago. She was never willing to believe she was a lost cause. We all thought she was a medical miracle. With these extra 10 years, "Granny" got to see all of her grandchildren graduate from high school, see many of them graduate from post-secondary, enter careers, get apartments, dogs, cats and many more milestones. She delighted in their goings on. Most of all, she was proud of who they had become and adored each and every one of them. Susan embodied a polite, reserved and gracious demeanour, yet her deep feelings always shone through. Susan was widowed in 1972 and she never remarried. She was fiercely independent and even carried her tires up from the basement each spring and fall. She almost never drove her car, although she became known as the lady with the Saab as she got 38 years of good use out of just the two. Susan was an environmentalist before many people had a word for it. It spoke to her nature of being careful and not greedy. Susan's strong sense of humour and tenderness were supported by her iron-willed yet understated strength and resilience. Susan was a devoted gardener. Her gardens on Elgin Avenue (both 45 and 52) brought her deep satisfaction and a lot of joy. She was so dedicated to gardening that she went to Ryerson for landscape architecture in 1984. She passed this passion and talent to her daughter, Erica. Her daughter, Laura, did not inherit the green thumb, but she did inherit the enjoyment. Susan had exquisite taste. No matter where she lived, she took great pleasure creating a beautiful space that was almost always the same in each location. Susan was a wonderful hostess. From serving people tea with her famous lemon loaf to hosting her New Year's Day parties, she made her guests feel welcome and cherished. She was an excellent listener. Highly intelligent, creative and knowledgeable, Susan had a keen appreciation for beauty and artistry, with interests that also encompassed art, architecture, theatre, music, film and literature. These passions are now embodied in her daughters, Erica and Laura, as well as each and every grandchild. As a friend, Susan had a core of sweetness and compassion, and was someone you could absolutely count on, confide in and trust. As a grandmother, she was very attentive and present. For years, grandchildren would come over after school for "Granny Days" where she helped with homework, taught crafts like sewing and doled out cheese and cookies to "greedy grubby" fingers. Notre Dame du Portage in Quebec was where Susan experienced her happiest childhood memories. Playing on the shore with her siblings and cousins, climbing the hills or watching the cows being brought down to the barns at night instilled a love of place that was so deep. Susan shared this love of Portage with her children. No doubt a two-day drive with her squabbling daughters was no fun, but everything was always forgotten upon arrival. Soirées, beach suppers and day trip adventures took over. In 2008 Susan was able to reconnect with Portage when the house across the street from her beloved family summer house (now her cousins') came up for sale. There was no better location. Situated next to the old gardens where she played as a child and a stone's throw from the original house, Susan spent hours gardening, reading and enjoying the company of whomever was in residence across the road. It was her sanctuary. Private and quiet to the end, Susan has requested to be cremated and to have a riverside memorial with her daughters and their families in her treasured Portage. In the last months of her life Susan deeply appreciated the many phone calls from her brothers, friends and family. She was also touched by the steady stream of flowers and food sent by thoughtful friends. Susan was deeply loved by her family Erica, Laura and Matthew, Stella and Liam, Emma, Sebastian, Oliver, Alexander and Lucy, as well as by her siblings and cousins. In honour of Susan, please take in the beauty of the magnolias that will soon be blossoming as she sadly missed them by just a few weeks.