Susan J. Rasmussen

1949 - 2025

Susan J. Rasmussen
05/19/1949 - 04/13/2025
Susan J. Rasmussen of Houston, Texas passed away with her beloved husband, Manuel Heredia by her side on Sunday April 13, 2025 at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center after a brave battle with cancer. She was born on May 19,1949 in Chicago, Illinois to Paul Rasmussen and Jean Craig Rasmussen.
She is survived by her sisters, Paula Darbyshire and Irene Rasmussen, two nephews, Brice and Ian Darbyshire and many other family members.
Susan received her B.A. in Anthropology from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, her M.A. in Social Sciences and Cross-Cultural Studies from University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, and her Ph.D. in Anthropology from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. She also was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
She became an Anthropology professor at the University of Houston in 1990 until she retired in January 2025. She loved teaching and research. She conducted field research over a span of thirty-five years in Niger, Mali, and Paris, France. Her primary focus was research in predominantly Tuareg rural and urban communities. Susan had six books published (solely authored) and about 100 articles in academic journals and books.
Susan loved riding her bicycles all over Houston, rain or shine. She also loved the arts attending performances of symphonies, opera, and ballet. She enjoyed dancing especially to Zydeco music.