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BORN

1946

DIED

2018

Susan Ciriclio Obituary

Susan Ciriclio

November 27, 1946 - August 19, 2018

Susan Ciriclio, beloved teacher, artist, mentor, and friend passed away unexpectedly at her Oakland home on August 19th. Sue, as she was affectionately known by all that were close to her, leaves behind a legacy of lives that she has touched, especially the generations of students that she inspired over her 45 years as a professor of photography at colleges around the Bay Area—the last 40 at the California College of the Arts (CCA), where she retired as Professor Emerita in 2017. Sue will be remembered for her kindness, generosity, remarkable memory, and keen intellect, which she was always prepared to share with others, whether it be toward the realization of an artwork, a home improvement project, or a good conversation over a glass of Single Malt.

Sue spent her childhood in Westchester County, New York, before moving to Phoenix, AZ as a teen with her mother, Janice Earl Ciriclio, and grandfather, both of whom she remained very close to until their respective deaths. While a college student in the late 1960's, Sue supported herself by working with the Phoenix Police Department as a dispatcher and crime scene photographer. This early exposure to photography sparked her lifelong involvement with the medium.

In 1969, Sue moved with her mother to Oakland, CA. She enrolled in California College of Arts and Crafts where she received her BFA as part of the inaugural cohort of photography majors at CCA/C in 1971. Passionate about pursuing her career as an artist, Sue went on to receive a MFA from Mills College in 1974. Exhibiting under the name S.E. Ciriclio, Sue garnered national attention for her conceptually rigorous interdisciplinary art practice, receiving an NEA Fellowship and being listed in Who's Who in American Art, Education and Women. Her work has appeared in the collections of SFMOMA, Oakland Museum of California and Mills College.

Sue began her career as a teacher almost immediately after finishing graduate school, leading classes at Chabot College, the San Francisco Art Institute, and eventually returning to CCA/C as a faculty member in 1977 to instruct the school's first ever color photography course. Sue would go on to teach courses ranging from beginning photography to graduate seminars, always challenging students to give their very best and reminding them that no detail was too small. A thoughtful, thorough and extraordinarily generous instructor, Sue was deeply invested in her student's artwork, helping them to realize projects according to their own creative visions. A dedicated mentor, Sue guided generations of students along the path to becoming great teachers. During her time at CCA, she was instrumental in building the Photography program from a handful of majors to a nationally recognized program, which has produced many influential artists, curators, writers and teachers.

Sue led her life with dedicated passion for the things she loved. When a topic interested Sue, she comprehensively researched and studied it, amassing encyclopedic knowledge on the topic. A lifelong fan of theater, Sue regularly attended performances, studying the playbills, and committing their casts to memory. Her interest in theater developed as a child through frequent trips to New York to watch Broadway musicals. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, Sue would spend her summers driving up the coast from Oakland to Ashland in time for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, where she spent the summer of 1982 as a visiting artist. An avid reader and lover of art books, Sue amassed a library that numbered in the thousands. She was also an accomplished writer, publishing at least two novels under an unknown pseudonym, which remains a mystery to even her closest friends.

A committed friend to animals, Sue was in particular a lover of cats, caring for many that she rescued and adopted over the years, and who loved her with equal intensity in return. As a young woman, she was a passionate equestrian, who rode regularly and even owned her own horse while in Arizona. A cherished fixture in her Montclair neighborhood, Sue was a consistent presence at open houses, holiday celebrations and soup parties, and was always game for gossip by the mailbox.

Sue will be deeply missed by countless friends, colleagues and students, but will live on through the many artists she taught, the teachers she mentored, and the memories of those that loved her. Contributions towards her memory can be made towards a new photography student scholarship named in honor of Susan Ciriclio at California College of the Arts. To give please visit cca.edu/give or contact Jennifer Jansen at [email protected] or 510 594-3763.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle from Sep. 1 to Sep. 2, 2018.

Memories and Condolences
for Susan Ciriclio

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5 Entries

Michelle

July 4, 2025

I was lucky enough to have Susan as a student at Chabot College. She was inspirational for me to work and think harder about communicating through photography. I have lived all my working life grateful for it.

Stella

December 26, 2019

Sue and I grew up together in New York. Then she and her Mom moved to AZ, but our moms stayed connected via letters and Christmas cards. After our mothers passed away, Sue and I kept the Christmas cards going just to stay in touch and wish each other well. I was so thankful that she did this with me.
This year when I didn't receive one of her beautiful cards, I decided to look to see if she was in the news and saw this obituary. She was always so polite and caring. I will miss hearing from her.
RIP, Sue. Love, Stella

Michael Allen

September 20, 2018

Sue was an amazing mentor, my life would be incalculably different without her knowledge, support and persistence . I've thought of her often since leaving CCA(C) always with exceptional gratitude and reverence.

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