Susanne Emily Oldham

1951 - 2018
Susanne Emily Oldham took her leave of family and friends on the first day of 2018. Throughout her 67 years Susanne brought creativity, energy and a unique perspective to every endeavor.
After growing up in Yellow Springs, Ohio, she pursued flute studies with Richard Adeney, Principal Flutist with the London Philharmonic, and Jack Wellbaum, solo piccolo in the Cincinnati Symphony, receiving an Associate Diploma from the Royal College of Music; the Bachelor of Music degree from the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, Ohio; and Master of Music from Colorado State University. As an arts administrator she worked with the NJ State Council on the Arts; Middlesex County Cultural and Heritage Commission; Rutgers Concert Bureau; and Amberson Enterprises (Leonard Bernstein's management company). As the Coordinator of Music Programs at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, she was manager of The Folger Consort. At age 50 she joined the Peace Corps, serving in Lesotho.
After moving back to Yellow Springs to be near family, she and John Semmlow renovated the Arthur Morgan House into a bed and breakfast which she successfully operated for ten years.
Susanne had many wide-ranging interests. She sailed the world with John, often in the company of family and friends. She loved dogs, and taught her faithful companions many tricks, some naughtier than others. She was proud owner of Steele whom she trained for his therapy dog credentials. Her artistic tastes ranged from African art, collected and displayed at the Arthur Morgan House Bed & Breakfast, to magnificent landscapes, to contemporary art and architecture, and she visited galleries and museums across the world, sharing images with her Facebook friends as she went. Her love of folk dancing which began in Yellow Springs continued during her time in Chicago, New Jersey and Washington DC. Her musical talent was offered up in a variety of ways, as a participant in I Solisti di Zirnachron, a folk dance band; the New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra; the Yellow Springs Chamber Orchestra and Community Chorus; and the women's a Cappella group Sokolitse. She was well known to her admirers as a formidable organizer and problem solver. Her culinary skills were much appreciated, whether through the gourmet Arthur Morgan House breakfasts, her legendary French-inspired gravy, or her cranberry chutney, spirited across international borders to the delight of many.
Susanne was pre-deceased by parents James V. Oldham and Gerda Wilk Oldham. She will be missed by her partner of many years John Semmlow, siblings Bob Oldham, Ned Oldham and Kathy Beverly (Dan Beverly) and David Oldham (Barbara Duvall Oldham), as well as nieces Karen Beverly Klausen, Jody Beverly Lee (Adams Lee), and Carol Oldham (Nejem Raheem), nephew Andy Beverly (Stephanie Beverly), seven grand nieces and nephews, numerous cousins, and the myriad other relatives, friends and acquaintances whose lives she touched.
Susanne's remains are interred at the Glen Forest Cemetery, Yellow Springs, Ohio. A memorial service will be held on February 18, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, Yellow Springs, Ohio.