Janet "Susan" Riordan

Died on Friday, April 24, 2015, after a long and valiant battle with cancer. Susan loved and was loved by many, especially her life partner, Jeanette Auger; her daughters, Jennifer (Gerard), Christine and Noeleen and son, Timothy, as well as Jeanette’s daughters, Ceilidh (Tammy) and Tove (Nik). Also deeply grieving are siblings, Elizabeth (Nick), Alan (Chris) and Nancy (Bob) as well as many nieces and nephews and ex-husband Denis (Donna). Susan had many good friends across Nova Scotia, as well as in Ontario and British Colmubia and they will all miss her special smile, intellect and great conversation. Susan loved living in the small and caring community of Morden overlooking the Bay of Fundy, where she found peace and tranquility. She and Jeanette were supported by many friends and neighbours, especially Lucy Finley and Robert and Elizabeth Zher, among many others. Susan was an avid gardener and she enjoyed swapping books and plant lore with neighbours and friends Roger and Gwen. Susan’s best friend since childhood, Gail Morrison, was a constant support and Susan valued their friendship deeply and she had hoped they would grow old together remembering the good old days in Noranda, but it was not to be. Not prone to regrets, Susan’s greatest disappointment was that she could not spend more time with her beloved grandchildren, Josephine, Kaia, Silas and Freya. Even with her diminished health and energy she still strove to be the best Grandma ever. Susan was actively committed to issues of social justice and when her children had grown she continued her education towards her chosen career as a social worker receiving many awards and scholarships along the way. To this end she received degrees (BA, BA.Hons., MA, MSW) from Rhodes University in South Africa, Dalhousie University and The University of Toronto and became a highly competent and well-regarded social worker, a career she loved and excelled at. Before the reoccurrence of cancer, Susan was the case work supervisor with the Department of Community Services in Kentville, prior to that, she held the same position in the Windsor office. In both positions she was highly respected and admired as a mentor and guide by those she worked with and for. Throughout her long illness with cancer Susan was fortunate to have the excellent care of physicians Dr. Mary Frances Moriarty, Bruce Coldwell and Lori Burgess, as well as Valley Palliative Care Assessor Katrina Patterson and many caring and compassionate VON RN’s LPN"s and CCA’s.  The quality of care Susan (and Jeanette) received from these professionals was exceptional and to be highly recommended. A service will be held in Aylesford United Church on Friday May 8^th at 2 p.m. with Rev. Brend McKay officiating, a reception will be held afterwards in Morden Community Centre. In lieu of flowers, donations in Susan’s memory may be made to the Annapolis Valley Palliative Care Program, the Kings County Victorian Order of Nurses or a charity of choice. Prior to her death, on many occasions Susan used to say "When I die I want you to say, thank goodness this poor woman isn’t suffering any more". We say it and in our grief our sense of sadness and loss is overwhelming.