Susan Burkes Stoetzel

Susan Burkes Stoetzel (Susie to those who loved her) passed away peacefully in her sleep the morning of Monday, January 6, 2025, at The Trace - Covington, Louisiana. She had been undergoing physical therapy for injuries received in a recent automobile accident. She was 63 years old. 

Susan was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, the youngest child of Louis Garland Burkes and Helen Rault Burkes. She spent her childhood in Uptown New Orleans, where she cultivated a lifelong love for the culture and customs of the city, especially Carnival. Summers were spent on her cousin's farm in Sardis, Mississippi, where she spent her days riding horses and appreciating the rural landscapes. She was educated at Benjamin Franklin High School, where she graduated in 1979.

After brief periods of employment, she resumed her education at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, where she received her Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree in 1987. Employment followed at the Tulane University Historic Preservation archive.

Susan moved to New York City and enrolled in the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, followed by employment in the Columbia University Administration. Marriage to Uwe Stoetzel and a return to her native Louisiana followed, where her son (Heinrich Stoetzel) was born. Susan had a kind heart and loved all animals, especially horses. Riding was her passion, whether at the farm in Mississippi, levee in New Orleans, or dressage and show jumping as an adult at various horse farms in and around Folsom, Louisiana.

Susan was an accomplished violinist, playing with the Loyola Symphony Orchestra as a teenager. Her talents extended to any kind of visual art. She was a gifted sketch artist. She had a distinctive penmanship style that made any correspondence from her instantly recognizable. She was an avid classic film enthusiast.

Susan’s spiritual journey led her to St Joseph Abbey, at first to walk the grounds and meditate, then Vespers with the monks and weekly meetings with her spiritual advisor, Fr. Lawrence Phelps. O.S.B. This culminated in Baptism into the Roman Catholic Church in the Spring of 2023.

Susan is survived by: Heinrich Stoetzel (son), Uwe Stoetzel, Louie Burkes (brother), Robert Burkes (brother), Wei Burkes Grimmett (niece), Rob Grimmett (nephew-in-law), and Ratana Burkes (sister-in-law).

Family and friends are invited to attend a Funeral Mass on Saturday January 18, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. with visitation starting at 1:00 p.m. at  Saint Joseph Abbey 75376 River Rd, St Benedict, LA 70457. Burial to follow in the Saint. Joseph Abbey Cemetery 75376 River Rd, St Benedict, LA 70457.