Susan M. Varon

Susan Martha Varon passed away peacefully on August 4th, 2025. Born in Racine, Wisconsin, to Walter and Martha Yaeger on April 27th, 1943.

Susan grew up on Lake Michigan’s doorstep. As a little girl, Susan was an avid reader and dreamed of being a famous writer someday. She attended The University of Chicago and graduated with honors, before moving to New York City. Susan met Hy Varon an artist and advertising executive and they married in 1973. Jennifer, their only child, was born in 1975. Susan’s life in NYC. During her many years in NYC, Susan worked at Encyclopedia Britannica, Covenant House, and James Lennox House.

In 1989, Susan suffered an aneurysm and stroke which disabled the right side of her body. Through much hard work she was able to regain her speech and some of her physical abilities. Having been right-handed, she learned to use her left hand. Susan wrote of her experiences as a stroke survivor and started a writing group for survivors of all kinds which she held in her apartment. Her writing led her to poetry, and she became a brilliant poet, and her work was later published in well-known poetry magazines and journals. It was her writing that started her love affair with Taos, New Mexico. She was given several residencies at the Wurlitzer Foundation in Taos and in 2007 moved to Taos permanently.

While still in New York, graduated from Seminary there as an ordained Interfaith Minister. After moving to Taos, she quickly became a vital part of the Unity community here. Like Susan herself, the Unity church is grounded in love and acceptance and so she felt inspired to devote a large portion of her life to it. She was also a vital part of the Taos community as a whole, taking part in town hall meetings and was always concerned and interested in making the community she lived in a more loving inclusive place.

Her daughter Jennifer moved to Taos to be close to her in 2017 and in 2021 moved to the same apartment complex as her in order to better take care of her. This time with her daughter was one of the happiest for both of them.

In 2023, she suffered another stroke, this time a smaller one which affected her ability to communicate verbally and translate her thoughts into writing as well as she had. Not one to be discouraged easily, she began doing watercolor paintings which she continued until she passed.

In July of 2025 Susan suffered a fall which left her bedridden and passed a month later with her daughter by her side. She is remembered by all that knew her as a beautiful soul, a determined and strong survivor, a wonderful friend and mother, and the gentlest kindest person they have ever known. She was close with her daughter Jennifer, her ex-husband Hy who was a dear friend to her until the end, her close friend Pamela, and her many dear friends in Taos including Sharlene, Agatha, Katy, Krystyna, Jenny Bird, and many others.

She is preceded in death by her father Walter Yaeger and her mother Martha Buckson Yaeger and is survived by her daughter Jennifer.

Her wish was to be cremated. There will be a service and life celebration for her on Sunday, August 24th at 11:30 AM. It will be held at the Community of Love Unity church at 69 Blueberry Hill Rd, Taos, NM .

The family of Susan Martha Varon has entrusted the care of their loved one to the caring staff of DeVargas Funeral Home of Taos. 866-657-4019 www.devargastaos.com