Susan R. LeVitre

Susan (Sue) R. LeVitre, 66, died peacefully at home under the care of Hospice of the North Country early Tuesday morning, May 7 with her husband by her side. She fought the cancer battle, beating breast cancer in 2001 and continually wrestling with brain cancer since 2010.
Sue was born September 7, 1957 in St Albans, VT to Armand and Rita Perron. She grew up in Georgia, VT. She was enrolled in Holy Angels School, the Georgia school and graduated from BFA St Albans, VT.
Sue is survived by her husband Richard (Rick) LeVitre, her son Jason Bushey, daughter Sarah Cowles (Gabe) and 6 grandchildren, brother Brian Perron and a niece, also by stepsons Matthew LeVitre (Kristie) and Benjamin LeVitre (Jessica) and 5 step-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her first husband, David Bushey, In 2010.
Sue was a determined and independent individual. With her single mom working full-time, Sue, by 7th grade, took over house duties of cleaning and cooking for her family. Sue, as a single mom herself at 19, resolving not to fall under the welfare state, enrolled in VT Community College. While there, she interned for the University of Vermont (UVM) Extension Service in the St. Albans office where she was later hired as a secretary. This began her 32-year journey with UVM Extension, rising through the ranks to Office Manager in St Albans. Sue always said she wanted a position at the state extension office on campus and in 2007 this was achieved when she was appointed the Executive Assistant to the Associate Dean of UVM Extension, a position she held until she retired in 2013. While in the state office she assumed many duties and special projects, including being named to the UVM President's Task Force on Women.
Sue moved to Malone in 2013 to join husband Rick. She told everyone she was retired and just wanted to work in her flower gardens. She undertook the monumental task of renovating long overlooked flower gardens and starting new ones on the grounds of their home on Wellington Street. After 4 months of hard work her efforts paid off with spectacular results. But Sue missed the Interaction with people, so she began volunteering at the Malone Chamber of Commerce, eventually being appointed Executive Director, a position she held until June of 2018. She loved the work at the Chamber, working with the people of the community and businesses. She often said she had not been so active in, nor so embraced by a community, as in Malone. A highlight of her tenure with the Chamber was joining Andrea Dumas (present Village Mayor) and former Malone school superintendent, Jerry Griffin in a tourism video highlighting Malone as both a place to live and a tourism destination.
She lived by the standard "The only thing constant is change" and left the Chamber to work for the Adirondack 1892 Home Store in 2018.
Besides her beloved perennial gardens, she enjoyed travelling, She and Rick traveled to many states, enjoying the highlights of cities, visiting friends and family and acquiring a new interest in visiting Presidential Museums on their travels.
Sue valiantly fought the "Big C" of cancer. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001. Her first diagnosis with brain cancer was in October of 2010, five months after her marriage to Rick. The cancer returned in 2018 and in 2022. During her long ordeal she had 4 surgeries, 2 bouts of radiation and 3 courses of chemo. She fought and won against the odds until this last year when all the trauma of the disease and resulting treatments took their toll.
She will be remembered for her bright smile, her love of dancing to classic rock and her amazingly kind heart.
A Celebration of Life will be planned for a later date. The family asks that donations be made to the Reddy Cancer Treatment Center AHMC, Malone, NY; UVM Cancer Center, Burlington, VT; or the Alzheimer's Association, Chicago, IL.