Susan Mater Jenkins

1943 - 2024

Susan Mater Jenkins

Concord, NH - Susan Mater Jenkins, known lovingly as "Susie," passed away peacefully at home in Concord, NH on November 3, 2024, surrounded by her family, after a years-long battle with Alzheimer's disease. She was 81 years old.

Susie was born on May 29, 1943, in Lafayette, IN, and graduated from Jefferson High School in 1961. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Spanish and Art from Purdue University in 1965, actively participating in honor societies and programs in music, art, and community development.

In 1965, Susie was among the first volunteers to join the Peace Corps, where she was stationed in the mountain village of Tacuba, addressing the local needs for improving poverty, nutrition and education. During her Peace Corps tour, she met her husband Mike, who led similar efforts in the coastal town of San Jose Villanueva. Susie married Mike in El Salvador in 1966 in a ceremony officiated by Archbishop Rivera y Damas, attended by dignitaries including President Julio Rivera, U.S. Ambassador Raúl H. Castro, and over 2,000 villagers who celebrated alongside them.

Following her Peace Corps service, Susie lived in Boston, Massachusetts, Columbus, Ohio, Manchester, NH and ultimately Concord, NH where she and Mike raised their two children Jennifer and Michael.

In New Hampshire, Susie led the Adult Tutorial Program at Project Second Start, an organization dedicated to adult literacy and English as a Second Language. She also held leadership roles at the Latin American Center in Manchester, NH, and with Partners of the Americas, where she represented the state of New Hampshire in a cross-cultural educational and social development program in Recife, the state capital of Pernambuco, Brazil. While continuing her career, Susie earned her Master's Degree in Community Development from Regis University in 1995.

In 2002, Susie and Mike founded Epilogos Charities in the village of San José Villanueva, and returned to their former Peace Corps home. The organization's mission continues today, seeking to improve the quality of life in the community through initiatives in health, education, housing, employment, sanitation, and infrastructure development, all aimed at alleviating poverty in the region.

Susie will be remembered for her profound compassion, dedication to community, and her enduring love of family, friends, art, and music that touched every part of her life.

She was predeceased by her parents, Robert Frank Mater and Eva May (Knight) Mater, brother Robert F. Mater, Jr., sister Christina Mater Shafer and son-in-law Edward Ferraro. She is survived by her beloved husband Mike, sister Sandra Mater Smith, children Jennifer and Michael, daughter-in-law Gargi and grandson Kieran.

A Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, December 10th, at Christ the King Parish, located at 72 South Main Street, Concord, NH. The family will welcome guests starting at 9:00 AM, with the service to follow at 10:00 AM. A light lunch will be served afterward.

In loving memory of Susie, donations may be made to Epilogos at epilogos.org.