Suzanne Elizabeth Dobson

I learned of Suzanne's death in 2023, 20 years after she passed. She died alone at home in Denver, North Carolina on July 1, 2003 from natural causes at the age of 40. From what I have been able to ascertain, there was no published obituary or funeral service. She was cremated with the hospital medical examiner in attendance. I decided to publish this tribute in the hope that those who knew her might one day find it and share their memories as well.

Suzanne was born in Defiance, Ohio. She was the daughter of Robert Woolner Dobson and Elizabeth Ruth Anning Dobson. She graduated from Dunedin High School in Dunedin, Florida in 1980.

I met Suzanne in 1981 while she was studying Industrial Engineering at Georgia Tech. I would see her walking around campus all the time listening to music on a Sony Walkman, the first one I'd ever seen. She introduced me to a lot of good new wave and alternative music and gave me an appreciation for art films, which few of my friends were into at the time. She opened my eyes to a lot of different possibilities for which I am forever grateful.

I remember she used to draw these cool bird cartoons all the time based on daily life that were really cute and funny. I told her she should consider getting them published as they were quite good, but she never pursued it. I really wish I had kept some of them. She had a knack for being really creative. She worked at the Georgia Tech radio station, WREK FM. She DJ'd several shows at the station and I remember one she did devoted to David Bowie. She was a big fan of Brian Ferry from Roxy Music. Thanks so much for turning me on to the Pretenders in the early days! She also worked at the Engineering Experiment Station at Georgia Tech prior to graduation.

She graduated from Georgia Tech in 1984 with a Bachelorate in Industrial Engineering and moved to North Carolina. We used to stay in touch and got together a few times over the years but I lost touch a few years after moving to Florida in 1997. The last time I saw her was in 1994 when she came to Atlanta and we went to see the Rolling Stones Voodoo Lounge show. She lived for a long time in Huntersville, NC. The last time we spoke she was really excited about purchasing her first home in Denver, NC. I will always remember her as a kind hearted and unique individual who just lived life to a different beat. She always had a smile and a positive outlook and cared about her friends. She is truly missed.

Samuel E Jones