1 Upcoming Event
Memorial Service
FEB
15
Sunday, February 15, 2026
Starts at 2:30 pm
Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley
1 Lawson Road, Kensington, CA 94707
Sue Magidson, 63, died at home in Berkeley on January 2, 2026.
Born in New York City and raised in Westport, CT, Sue lived in the Bay area for more than 35 years. In between, she stopped in Providence, Rhode Island, where she earned B.A. degrees in English and Computer Science at Brown University and co-authored an introductory computer science textbook. She then headed to the Far Brook School, in Short Hills, New Jersey, where she fell in love with teaching middle school math and developed a deep commitment to helping to improve teaching techniques. That passion led her to the University of California at Berkeley, where she earned a Ph.D. in Education (concentrating on the bridge between design, teaching and research in mathematics education) followed by a post-doctoral fellowship at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel.
After a series of life crises in the mid- to late-1990s, Sue's calling to ministry, present since her college years, grew louder - leading her to earn a M.Div. at Starr King School for the Ministry. A lifelong UU member, she was ordained a Unitarian Universalist minister. Sue served for many years as the Chaplain and Spiritual Care Coordinator at San Leandro Hospital - a cherished role in which she provided emotional and spiritual support for patients, families, and all hospital staff. She loved being a member of the hospital's Palliative Care Service and serving on the Ethics Committee of the Alameda Health System. Among her many contributions was her key role in bringing the Schwartz Rounds program - an interdisciplinary forum for discussing the psychosocial and emotional aspects of patient care, implemented at hospitals worldwide - to the Alameda Health System.
Sue's grace, compassion, quiet strength and innate peace - as well as her exceptional capacity for deep listening and emotional connection - touched many lives over the years. An astute and intuitive care team member, she helped countless patients and families navigate illness, treatment, and final passage. Her insight and kindness were blessings to her clinical colleagues and members of every other community she enriched with her presence.
A woman of many talents, Sue's greatest gift may have been her ability to drink life in.
Sue loved to laugh and she loved to learn. She loved retreating into the healing silence of nature, walking through redwood forests, strolling along the Berkeley Marina, painting and singing (and once upon a time beautiful bassoon playing), preparing and sharing vegan meals, and visiting Berkeley Farmers' Markets. She was a very big fan of organic, ethically sourced dark chocolate. She loved Bay Area vistas and swimming in the ocean and in any body of water she could. Each Spring, she looked forward to the wildflowers in Tilden Regional Park. She loved going to the Oakland Zoo to watch the animals- something she was so happy to share with her niece.
A thoughtful preacher, Sue brought reverence and joy - as a leader and a participant - to sacred rituals and celebrations, as well as life's small, sacred moments. She treasured her eclectic library of books, collected over a lifetime, and was also a discerning curator of friends - embracing new ones with every life experience. Now, in her palpable absence, they are linked in a ribbon of loss and love that circles the globe.
Sue illuminated many circles of community - too many to list - over the course of her rich, generous life. Most notable were her faith communities, including the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, where she served as an affiliated community minister, and Chochmat HaLev and Torah of Awakening.
She loved her life and work and was sorry to leave so soon.
Sue was predeceased by her father, Jack Magidson, and her mother, Micki Magidson, and is survived by her beloved sister, Nancy, and niece, Tabby.
Friends are invited to celebrate Sue's life at her memorial service on Sunday, February 15, 2026 at 2:30pm Pacific Time at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Road, Kensington, CA. The service will also be livestreamed with the link available at https://uucb.org/special-events/ when it is closer to the date. Please wear something with blues, blue-greens or purples in Sue's honor.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift in Sue's memory to one of the following nonprofit organizations:
Women's Cancer Resource Center, 2908 Ellsworth Street, Berkeley CA 94705, https://www.wcrc.org/get-support.
Charlotte Maxwell Clinic, 411 30th Street, Suite 508, Oakland, CA 94609, https://charlottemaxwell.org/get-involved/donate/
Born in New York City and raised in Westport, CT, Sue lived in the Bay area for more than 35 years. In between, she stopped in Providence, Rhode Island, where she earned B.A. degrees in English and Computer Science at Brown University and co-authored an introductory computer science textbook. She then headed to the Far Brook School, in Short Hills, New Jersey, where she fell in love with teaching middle school math and developed a deep commitment to helping to improve teaching techniques. That passion led her to the University of California at Berkeley, where she earned a Ph.D. in Education (concentrating on the bridge between design, teaching and research in mathematics education) followed by a post-doctoral fellowship at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel.
After a series of life crises in the mid- to late-1990s, Sue's calling to ministry, present since her college years, grew louder - leading her to earn a M.Div. at Starr King School for the Ministry. A lifelong UU member, she was ordained a Unitarian Universalist minister. Sue served for many years as the Chaplain and Spiritual Care Coordinator at San Leandro Hospital - a cherished role in which she provided emotional and spiritual support for patients, families, and all hospital staff. She loved being a member of the hospital's Palliative Care Service and serving on the Ethics Committee of the Alameda Health System. Among her many contributions was her key role in bringing the Schwartz Rounds program - an interdisciplinary forum for discussing the psychosocial and emotional aspects of patient care, implemented at hospitals worldwide - to the Alameda Health System.
Sue's grace, compassion, quiet strength and innate peace - as well as her exceptional capacity for deep listening and emotional connection - touched many lives over the years. An astute and intuitive care team member, she helped countless patients and families navigate illness, treatment, and final passage. Her insight and kindness were blessings to her clinical colleagues and members of every other community she enriched with her presence.
A woman of many talents, Sue's greatest gift may have been her ability to drink life in.
Sue loved to laugh and she loved to learn. She loved retreating into the healing silence of nature, walking through redwood forests, strolling along the Berkeley Marina, painting and singing (and once upon a time beautiful bassoon playing), preparing and sharing vegan meals, and visiting Berkeley Farmers' Markets. She was a very big fan of organic, ethically sourced dark chocolate. She loved Bay Area vistas and swimming in the ocean and in any body of water she could. Each Spring, she looked forward to the wildflowers in Tilden Regional Park. She loved going to the Oakland Zoo to watch the animals- something she was so happy to share with her niece.
A thoughtful preacher, Sue brought reverence and joy - as a leader and a participant - to sacred rituals and celebrations, as well as life's small, sacred moments. She treasured her eclectic library of books, collected over a lifetime, and was also a discerning curator of friends - embracing new ones with every life experience. Now, in her palpable absence, they are linked in a ribbon of loss and love that circles the globe.
Sue illuminated many circles of community - too many to list - over the course of her rich, generous life. Most notable were her faith communities, including the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, where she served as an affiliated community minister, and Chochmat HaLev and Torah of Awakening.
She loved her life and work and was sorry to leave so soon.
Sue was predeceased by her father, Jack Magidson, and her mother, Micki Magidson, and is survived by her beloved sister, Nancy, and niece, Tabby.
Friends are invited to celebrate Sue's life at her memorial service on Sunday, February 15, 2026 at 2:30pm Pacific Time at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Road, Kensington, CA. The service will also be livestreamed with the link available at https://uucb.org/special-events/ when it is closer to the date. Please wear something with blues, blue-greens or purples in Sue's honor.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift in Sue's memory to one of the following nonprofit organizations:
Women's Cancer Resource Center, 2908 Ellsworth Street, Berkeley CA 94705, https://www.wcrc.org/get-support.
Charlotte Maxwell Clinic, 411 30th Street, Suite 508, Oakland, CA 94609, https://charlottemaxwell.org/get-involved/donate/
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Sue Magidson, please visit our flower store.
Sue Magidson's Guestbook
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