Susan Haumersen Heslep

HESLEP, Susan Haumersen, gracefully passed away April 2, 2009 in her home. She is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth, and son, Benjamin. She is also survived by a brother, Brian Haumersen of Mendham, N.J., his wife Sue, and their four children, Andrew, John, Tom, and Gracie. She was preceded in death by her husband, Stephen Owens Heslep of Richmond, Va., and her parents, Richard and Marian Haumersen of Cambridge, Md. Susan was a graduate of Cambridge High School and then Duke University where she majored in English and was a member of Pi Beta Phi, with whom she remained active throughout her life mentoring and working with prison literacy programs. After college, she was a volunteer with AmeriCorps VISTA in Salt Lake City, continuing her passions for education and volunteerism. She later received her Master's in Education from Antioch University New England. Susan, a devoted educator for over 30 years, had her first teaching assignment in Manchester, New Hampshire after which she and her husband moved to Richmond where Susan was a teacher at Maggie Walker and then Varina High School where she taught until she recently retired. Her impact on the Varina community was vast; during the course of her time there she taught all levels and grades of English including Advanced Placement classes and American Studies, a course which she helped to develop. She was a respected leader in her field, serving many years as the English department chairperson and guiding countless new teachers along their paths. Over the years, Susan sponsored too many extracurricular activities to list, serving as a class sponsor, building floats, organizing proms, supervising fundraisers, and always eagerly volunteering to be a part of her students' lives, both at Varina and beyond. Susan was a fierce advocate not only for her students, but for the English language itself. Susan will be greatly missed by her family, friends, and many former students who loved her dearly. A memorial service will be held Wednesday, April 8 at 10 a.m. in the Cannon Memorial Chapel at the University of Richmond. She and her husband both believed strongly in charity; memorial donations may be made to the Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, Ala. 36104, or the Central Virginia Foodbank, 1415 Rhoadmiller Street, Richmond, Va. 23220.
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.