Obituary of Susan Gaylord

Susan Jean Gaylord of Fort Plain, NY died March 20, 2023 of ALS. Despite her condition, Sue continued to display her gregarious personality and maintained her bright spirit. She was born in Syracuse, NY on June 6, 1945 to parents Dr. E. Curtiss and Jean F. Gaylord. They soon moved to Brockport, NY where she graduated from Brockport High School. Susan followed her father's path as a teacher and health educator after receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in education at SUNY Brockport, followed by a Master of Science degree from Syracuse University. She taught elementary, middle, and high school grade levels for many years and at several schools. Later, while working as a Health Coordinator at the State Education Department in Albany, she developed curricula used in schools throughout NY.

"Susie" loved to travel and resided in Hawaii. She also lived in Germany, teaching high school equivalencies to G.I.s on a US Army base near Frankfurt. An avid downhill and cross-country skier, Susan was privileged to experience the mountains and trails of Austria, Switzerland, and Italy while in Europe. In the warmer months, she enjoyed tennis and swimming in Lake Ontario. However, her true passion was gardening. Sue tended to beautiful flower gardens at "Hazelnut Farm", a Victorian Bed and Breakfast which she managed with her husband Art during her retirement for over a decade. Her beloved summer cottage in Sodus, NY at Sprong’s Bluff, also featured many charming flowerbeds. Always thoughtful and caring, over the years Susan developed multiple "memorial gardens" on her properties in honor of friends and family that had passed on. An enthusiastic reader, Susan enjoyed challenging anyone to a game of Scrabble - which she would usually win!. She remained a member of a local women's club which coordinated many volunteer projects up until her death.

Susan is survived by her husband of 37 years, Art Adams, and their two sons, Henry (Ariel Mack) Adams of Viola, ID and Charles (Missy) Adams of Charlotte, VT, as well as her precious grandchildren: Charlie and Margot Adams of VT, and Benjamin and Oliver Adams of ID. Also surviving are her three siblings: brother Paul (Sue Millay) Gaylord of Rochester, NY; and sisters Caroline (Arne) Gaylord Sarya of Traverse City, MI; and Mary Lou Gaylord (Gary Squires) of Schuylerville, NY. Her other pride and joy were her three nephews and one niece, Cydney (Tyler) Mockry of Cohoes, NY, Cullen Jamison of Traverse City, MI, Madison Squires of Schuylerville, NY, and Cayden Squires of Astoria, NY. Susan was also very close to her twelve first cousins, as well as 100-year-old aunt, Ruth O. Gaylord, of Webster, NY.

A memorial service, open to the public, will be held Saturday, June 3, 2023 at 1:00 pm at the First United Presbyterian Church, 31 W Main St, Sodus, NY. Donations in Susan’s honor can be made to St. Peter’s ALS Regional Center, 19 Warehouse Row, Albany, NY 12205 or charity of choice.