Susan Carrol Gnadinger

GNADINGER, SUSAN CARROL, 66 of Louisville, passed away on Sunday, January 18, 2026.

Susie Gnadinger was born with or developed Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and in 1960, and the prognosis for anyone with JRA was rather bleak. She was in group of children that all had JRA, and she was the only one that lived, God had plans for her.

She was born in Memphis Tennessee, her mom actually was in school with Elvis Presley and Elvis really liked Sally Ann, so much that Susie was actually baby sat by the King if Rock n Roll.

Susie moved with her parents to Evansville, In, where she spent the majority of her childhood. She graduated from Evansville High School. At some point she and her mom moved to Louisville, Ky. Susie went to college after high school. She began her collegiate work at Murray State University, eventually landing at the University of Louisville where she received her Masters of Education degree. She had a specialty in early education She spent 16 years teaching grade school children.

During this time, she married Joe Penny and had two children, Sarah and Thomas who she dearly loved. Susie was however no perfect human being. She at some point ended up on the wrong side of drugs and alcohol, and that would like tear up this seemingly perfect family unit. She spent some years battling her addiction, she had a couple of failed marriages that ended, and much heartbreak.

Again, God had other plans for her, at some point in 2000 she was at her lowest point, nearly beaten to death and left for dead. An angel found her, cleaned her up and enabled her to make a phone call to the only person who could help. This was one of her mother's good friends. Her mother had been out of town at the time which probably saved her life, mommy wasn't there to fix everything.

After a good night sleep, Susie woke up to a sheet of paper with a list of recovery places that she could go to. This was the final straw. She was going to recover or die.

She ended up at the Healing Place for Women; this was February 2 2001, and she hasn't had a drink or a drug since. Fresh in recovery she was walking to meetings every day and learning a new way of life, a life on life's terms.

We met when she had only a couple of days, maybe a week or so into her recovery. I was taken by her upbeat attitude and personality, but I left her alone, because she needed to work on herself for a while first. I kept seeing her at one of my regular meetings, we would talk before the meeting and became friends. This went on for a year or so, eventually we would go to get something to eat with a group of people after the meeting. We would do this fairly regularly, then it would just be the 2 of us just going to dinner, as friends nothing more.

When we decided to tell our families that we were dating, Susie's mom said, that is what you have been doing, we were stunned, Susie's mom continued….dating doesn't mean falling in bed together.

We married on December 24 2006, and have been happily married ever since. We worked our own programs, spoke openly and laughed a lot.

Susie has two children; Sarah and Thomas, and a grandchild of Thomas and his wife Kir. Both of her parents have since passed away, Susie 's adopted father is still alive and so is her brother Byron LaMastus, and she has numerous nieces and nephews, and great nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends from 12 PM till 8 PM on Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at Bosse Funeral Home, 1355 Ellison at Barret Avenues. Per Susie's wishes, her body will be cremated following the visitation.