Susan Loretta Shuter (née Mockler) was born in London Ontario in April 1948. Her years in London were unhappy and she longed to escape to a freer environment. She moved with her family to North York in 1964 and soon met her life partner, Brian Shuter, when she joined his 11th grade class at Earl Haig Secondary School. They graduated from high school together and soon married. Two children followed, whom she loved very much: Sean in 1968 and Jennifer in 1976. Once the children were older, Susan was able to pursue her interest in, and talent for, nurturing and educating young children. She earned her degree in Early Childhood Education, worked in several nursery schools, moved on to evaluating nursery school quality for local governments and eventually became head teacher at Lansing Co-operative Nursery School. Susan and Brian moved to Dundas in 1998 and soon after, Susan began working for the Hamilton Salvation Army providing childcare and parenting classes for single mothers.
After a car accident in 2001 left her physically unable to care for young children, she retired and began a second career writing short stories. Over the next 10 years, she published stories in the Globe and Mail and 2 literary magazines. She and Brian had always loved travelling and after her retirement, they travelled to Scotland, England, Ireland, Europe, South Africa, New Zealand, and many places in Canada and the US. In 2018, they moved to the Thunder Bay area to be closer to family. Sadly, early symptoms of dementia began to appear in 2017 and progressed slowly but inexorably for the next 9 years. The disease took so many things from Susan and her family, but her last 8 months were relatively happy ones: she returned to childhood and at last could become the funny mischievous kid who had been systematically suppressed in her early life.
Her family would like to thank all the staff at Hogarth Riverview Manor (6S) for the excellent care they gave her over the last 2.5 years, as well as the staff at TBRHSC (2B) for their kindness and for making her last hours as comfortable as possible. In lieu of flowers, donations in her name to the Alzheimer Society Of Thunder Bay or Doctors Without Borders, Canada would be much appreciated.
In memory:
Her mirth the world required,
She bathed it in smiles of glee.
But her heart was tired, tired
And now they let her be.
Her life was turning turning,
In mazes of heat and sound
But for peace her soul was yearning
And now peace laps her round
– Mathew Arnold
Condolences may be made through www.nwfainc.com
