Susan Lee Hardin Freer

Aged 71, of Jackson, MI, died from pancreatic cancer on June 18, 2019 at home peacefully in the presence and comfort of her husband and two daughters at her bedside.

Susie was born March 26, 1948 in Louisville, KY, and graduated Valley Station High School 1966.  She attended undergraduate college at Murray State University before transferring and obtaining her bachelor's from University of Kentucky  and subsequent graduate work in education from University of Eastern Kentucky (MA) and Oakland University. She was employed throughout her life both as a teacher at various schools in KY and later worked in administrative positions at Louisville Collegiate School. She relocated from Louisville to Michigan in 1990 but Kentucky remained her first home.

Susie lived her life with gusto and laughter, nicknamed "Susie Sunshine" or "Spunky Susie" by dear friends. She married James (Jim) Freer on June 8, 1969 at Cedarmore Baptist Assembly in KY where they met after working as Camp staff together. Throughout her life, Susie was active in her local church including Christ Church United Methodist in Louisville, KY and St. Paul's Episcopal Church after relocating to Jackson, MI.  She dedicated countless hours orchestrating children's pageants and musicals, running church vocal and handbell choirs, leading vacation bible school, active involvement in Southern Methodist and Episcopal Women's groups, and serving as Senior Warden at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Jackson, Michigan, as well as actively organized numerous large-scale civic and school activities and galas and annual well-loved Derby Steamboat Race parties.

Susie faced her terminal diagnosis similar to the way she faced life:  with resiliency, spunkiness, grace and laughter, bringing joy, love and inspiration to those in her life as she lived fully.  She used her toughness and energy to be able to live fully even through her diagnosis, culminating with the crowning achievement of celebrating her 50th wedding anniversary to Jim complete with a party and marriage blessing a few short days before she passed.

She was never one to shy away from difficulty.  Having lived her life with a congenital muscle disease, diagnosed in childhood, it was only recently she received the official genetic diagnosis of paramyotonia congenita (Eulenberg's Disease).  This disease did not stop her from finishing the Santa Barbara Half Marathon with a respectable finish as her response to being diagnosed with diabetes about ten years ago.  Similarly, her terminal pancreatic cancer diagnosis did not stop her from courageously jumping off the Extreme ZipLine at the Olympic Park in Utah at age 70. She treasured her enduring friendships, from long visits with childhood friends, to weekly lunches with her "Sisters Group" from church and her swim class friends as well as a special relationship with her dear Aunt Mary Fisher and her sister-in-law Paula Hardin.

Grandma Susie created lasting memories and laughter for her grandchildren, including hosting the Grandma's Ice Cream Day for Dinner, outfitting an entire room in her house as a dream playroom, teaching her granddaughters to sew, watching countless episodes of Peppa Pig, driving a grandson to see Niagara Falls, texting her oldest grandchildren regularly as she kept up with their athletic accomplishments.  Her proudest achievements were her daughters to whom she was a phenomenally loving and involved guide and mom, and even more-so her 7 grandchildren (including finally getting a brown-eyed grandchild that looked like her), and her lasting marriage to her sweetheart Jim.

She was always giving to and thinking of others even up to the last minute, including ensuring her grandchildren had lots of candy and cake and a piñata at the anniversary party and donating her body to University of Michigan Medical School to support scientific training and research.

Susie will be greatly missed by family and dear friends.  She is survived by her beloved husband, James (Jim) Freer, MD of Jackson, MI; daughters Rebecca (Alex) Wulff  of Ventura, California and Phoebe (Bryan McGowan) Freer of Park City, UT; and her 7 grandchildren, Liam (18), Thea (16), Sandro (11),  Maia (8), Edith (6), Abraham (5), and Helen (2); multiple loved extended family members on both sides and a host of dear sweet friends, both old and newer.  Susie is preceded in death by her parents.

According to her wishes Susan has donated her body to the University of Michigan Anatomical Donation Program.   A celebration of her life will be held at St Paul's Episcopal Church, 309 S Jackson St, Jackson, MI on Saturday, June 29, 2019 at 11:00 AM with The Reverend Sarah Hurlbert officiating.

The family will receive friends at the Church on Saturday, June 29 from 10:00 to 11:00 AM.

In lieu of flowers, Susie requested donations be made in her honor to the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation (https://www.npcf.us/donate-volunteer/ways-to-donate/donate/) , the Muscular Dystrophy Association (https://secure2.convio.net/mda/site/Donation2?df_id=9589&mfc_pref=T&9589.donation=form1) , or to St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Jackson (http://stpauljxmi.org/contact-us/) .

Desnoyer Funeral Home

Family owned for 129 years