Susan (Suzanne) Shriver

Susan G. Shriver, a “Citizen of the World” passed away peacefully in Chatham, Ontario on February 7, 2026.  Susan was a wonderful mother, a faithful friend, a dedicated volunteer, a world traveller and a lover of languages. She was a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Olinda, Ontario, a practitioner of the values of the International School of Personality and Human Relations (PRH), and active in the Franco-Ontarian community.

Susan Toni Guthridge was the only child of Richard Clay Guthridge and Anne Margaret Brown and grew up in New York City playing in the neighbourhood around 52^nd Street and the East River of Manhattan. Susan excelled in school and entered William Smith College in upstate New York at the age of 16. After completing a BA, Susan travelled to Europe, Israel, and Egypt spending two years in France learning French in Strasbourg and teaching English in Paris. Her time living and teaching in France guided the course of Susan’s future.

Susan returned to the United States to attend Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia to complete a Masters of French Language and Literature and, in parallel, a Masters of Librarianship. While at Emory, Susan met her first husband, John R. Shriver, and daughter Noelle Anne was born. They emigrated to Windsor, Ontario, Canada in 1971 and Susan started to work for the Windsor Public Library at the Willistead Manor branch. In 1976 she began teaching at Belle River District High School in the French immersion program.  Susan transferred to the newly opened L’Ecole Secondaire L’Essor in 1979 and truly enjoyed teaching the students Francais, Ethics, Co-Op and working in the school library until her retirement in 1996.

Towards the end of her teaching career, Susan met her second husband, Ted (Edward) Joseph Bell (d. 2023) at a PRH workshop. Susan moved to the Blenheim area where she and Ted lived on a farm with their cats and then moved to be by the water in Erieau.  Susan moved to the perfect townhouse in Blenheim when Ted entered assisted living in Ridgetown.

Susan had slow, progressive kidney failure through much of her life and started on dialysis in 2017; first in Windsor and then in Chatham.  The Dialysis Team in the Chatham Health Centre Dialysis unit were like an extended family, and the Nephrology Team in London were attentive to her health, her concerns and requests.

Susan will be deeply missed by her daughter Noelle, son-in-law Alan, step-grandchildren Julia, Madeline, Robert and their families, stepson Ken Bell and the extended Bell family, many first cousins and their families around the US, and her large group of friends including ones from childhood, university, her travels in Europe, her time in Windsor, and more recent friendships she formed in Chatham-Kent; all who have been such a strong support and source of joy.

A Celebration of Susan’s Life will be held at the Blenheim Community Funeral Home on Saturday, May 9, 2026. If you would like to make a donation in Susan’s name, please consider the Blenheim Medical Health Foundation (The Hub).