Susan Elizabeth Garner Neely

1952 - 2023

Susan Elizabeth Garner Neely
March 2, 1952 - June 1, 2023
Beaufort, South Carolina - Susan Elizabeth Garner Neely, of Beaufort, SC and formerly of Annapolis, MD died June 1, 2023.
The daughter of John Hills Garner and Betty Ink Garner, Sue was born March 2, 1952 in Cleveland, Ohio. She attended Graded American School in São Paulo, Brazil, and then matriculated at Hillsdale College in Michigan, and graduated with a B.A. - Biology in 1974. During her college summers, she worked as a laboratory assistant at the University of São Paulo's marine biology research facility at Uba Tuba, Brazil. She was president of her college sorority Chi Omega.
On January 18, 1975, she was married to John Grosvenor Neely at Christ Church Cranbrook in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. After settling in Annapolis, Maryland in 1979, she became active in the city's civic and cultural affairs. She was president of the Junior League of Annapolis, president of the Hammond-Harwood House Association and Museum, and president of the Four Rivers Garden Club. She chaired the annual fundraising galas for the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, Severn School, Junior League, Rotary Club of Annapolis and Chesapeake Conservancy.
She was devoted to the Four Rivers Garden Club, its members and traditions, and in recognition of her contributions, received Honorary Membership. She had a lifelong love of gardening and developed an extensive knowledge of native plants in the Chesapeake Bay drainage.
In Annapolis, she was a communicant at St. Anne's Episcopal Church, where she taught Sunday school. Descended from the Balls of Virginia, she was a member of the National Society of Colonial Dames of America. An avid boater and cruiser, she was a long-time member of the Annapolis Yacht Club. In Beaufort, SC, she worshipped at St. Helena's Anglican Parish, and was a member of the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club.
Survivors include: her husband, John Grosvenor Neely of Beaufort, SC; son: John Grosvenor Neely, Jr. and wife Laura Catherine Neely; two grandchildren: Frances Claire Neely and Hannah Catherine Neely of Lake Nona, FL; and son: Charles Batcheller Neely III of Charleston, SC. Her sister, Nancy Garner Barros lives in Brazil.
A funeral will be held at the Parish Church of St. Helena in Beaufort, SC on Friday, June 30th at 10:00 am. Burial will be private at St. Helena's Sacred Grounds Cemetery. A memorial service will be held in Annapolis, MD at a later date.
The family wishes to thank the staff of Beaufort Memorial Hospital for their devotion and care. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Chesapeake Conservancy, 716 Giddings Avenue, Suite 42, Annapolis, MD 21401.
www.andersonfhsc.com