Susan Maura Comfort Bishop

1947 - 2024

Susan Maura Comfort Bishop

April 15, 1947 - August 5, 2024

Susan Maura Comfort Bishop passed away peacefully in her home on August 5th, 2024 at age 77. She earned this peace after overcoming melanoma and bravely battling congestive heart failure. Her husband of 55 years, Bill, remained by her side throughout her hospitalizations and during her time in home hospice. Throughout her ordeals, Susan very rarely complained; her courage and optimistic attitude were truly inspirational.

Susan was born in Manhattan, NY on April 15th, 1947, the second child of Horace Willard (Bill) Comfort and Mary Margaret Ward (Jackie) Comfort. She grew up in Wantagh, NY and her favorite teenage hangouts were the "Sweet Shop" and nearby Jones Beach. She graduated from Queen of the Rosary Academy in Amityville, NY with a Regents Diploma. After moving to Charlottesville with her family, Susan graduated from the Martha Jefferson Hospital LPN program and worked in the Labor & Delivery unit where her favorite assignment was newborn care. She left her nursing career in 1979 to be a "stay-at-home" mom to her two boys, Brian and Paul. Her daughter, Maura, was born in 1981. Romeo, her adored Maltese puppy, arrived in 2020. Although Susan had been a Charlottesville resident since 1966, her heart was in New York and she told nearly everyone she met.

Susan had striking blue eyes, lustrous black hair and an endearing "gap-tooth" smile that melted hearts, including Bill's. He always considered himself to be incredibly lucky to have married her. Susan was equally loving, protective, and kind to each of her children. More than once, after breaking up a "fight" between her two boys, she would make them either give each other a hug or sit across from each other until they couldn't help but break out laughing, She was Bill's partner and friend, often solving his problems with her abundant common sense, whether it was something simple like finding his car keys or making a great suggestion to solve a problem with one of his DIY projects.

Susan made delicious and healthy meals every day for her family, including from-scratch soups with fresh vegetables, homemade broth, and homegrown herbs, as well as cookies, Irish soda bread, and "triple-chocolate" cake. She enjoyed and excelled at restoring antique furniture, like the old rusted iron hospital bed that Bill had laughed at, but that she transformed beautifully. Susan made her own wedding dress, some of her children's clothes, very creative Halloween costumes and elegant draperies. She kept her house spotlessly clean and enjoyed painting it with warm, soft colors. She nurtured a large collection of indoor plants. She planned the family budget in spiral notebooks, shopped frugally, wrote all the monthly checks and made lists for everything. All this made her house a warm, inviting, healthy, and efficient home, and even with these responsibilities, she still made time to care for her mother, helping her shop and get around town after her husband's passing.

Susan always encouraged her children to do the right thing and take responsibility for their actions. But they still look back with a smile on their childhood "mischief", like making a gunpowder cannon from a bike pump (a recent confession) or driving a family car over an earth dam, thankfully, without anyone getting hurt or causing much damage. She tried to steer them away from negative influences, "friends" and otherwise. Susan got the family to church and her kids to religious education. She took them to the bookmobile in the summer (and assigned book reports) and pushed them outside to play instead of watching TV. She cheered her children on through Brownies, ballet, Little League, soccer, color guard and rowing.

Susan's children are a big part of her legacy. They became happy and successful adults despite the trends and pressures of the day, and they have a warm, friendly, and supportive relationship with one another. All three quickly stepped up to help her cope with the devastating effects of her illness and support Bill through her passing. Their compassion and effort made all the difference. In addition to her husband and children, she is survived by five beautiful and talented grandchildren.

A private funeral Mass for Susan took place on August 16th at St. Thomas Aquinas Church with the burial of her ashes at Monticello Memory Gardens. She will be greatly missed by Bill, Brian, Paul and Maura.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Susan's name to the heart or vascular disease research organization of your choice.