Susan Worley Traynor

Susan, a native of Coral Gables, was born on January 10th, 1945, and she was surrounded in Coral Gables by a tight, loving family of 5 aunts, 2 uncles and 20 cousins all living in the Coral Gables community. Her home on Escobar Ave in the Gables was a place of gathering and stability for over 50 years. Her mother was Meredith "Mutt" Worley and her father was Jack Hayes Worley both of Miami and Coral Gables. Clearly this extended family was the foundation of her quiet strength and confidence throughout her exciting life to come.

Susan led a remarkable life. She may best be described as optimistic, graceful, determined, undaunted and kind. It was Susan's enthusiastic zest for life and her natural love for all people that enriched her life and others lives so greatly. It was Susan's unconditional love for the Lord and her amazing grace that were the roots of her glowing beauty and the foundation of her soul that would become the true legacy of her life's work. Plus, Susan was pure fun wrapped in a bow.

She graduated from Coral Gables High School in 1963 and received her bachelor's degree in English from Florida State University in 1967. She taught Senior Honors English at Briarcliff High School in Atlanta.

She married Chip Traynor in June of 1970, and they lived in Brookhaven, Buckhead and Pensacola for their 53 years together. They raised 3 children in Atlanta and Pensacola, and they have 9 grandchildren.

Susan was as comfortable entertaining CEOs of major Wall Street brokerage firms in New York City as she was tending to the needs of those less fortunate.

Susan had an incredible sense of style and charisma about her. She was a leader in everything she did and her accomplishments in her many different endeavors were impressive. Susan had a sense of style and a sense of matching colors that was amazing. This led her to major renovations of several homes in Atlanta and Pensacola. This in turn led her to the development of Eden on Perdido Key, Florida. Eden, a 12-story building connecting into a 17-story building directly on the Gulf of Mexico, 25 miles West of Pensacola, has become an iconic fixture on the Florida Panhandle. Susan oversaw a substantial 7 figure advertising budget, and she splashed the Eden story and pictures across major magazines and the Wall Street Journal. She was confronted many times by comments; "you will never build that project on Perdido Key, the Key is not ready for that project". Her comment was always, "wait and see". Susan made Eden famous before it was built.

In the actual building, Susan was involved in every phase of the project and with every discipline. She was also head of presales and then sales once it was built. Susan had a special pink hard hat and she worked diligently with sub-contractors of the major disciplines assuring them that they could do their best work on Eden. Eden continues to serve the Pensacola community and Escambia County and continues to pour millions of real estate tax dollars into Escambia County, Pensacola. Without Susan, it may not have happened.

It was during this Eden period that the Traynor's lived in Pensacola. Susan fell in love with Pensacola and its people and with the beauty of the land, the Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Susan was active as a Docent of the High Museum of Atlanta and thus her interest in the Pensacola Museum where she became an active member. In fact, Susan headed a black-tie event at the Pensacola Museum that was responsible for raising a substantial sum for the Museum. Susan lived in Pensacola twice and was always ready to visit.

Susan was always interested in historical preservation, and she was very active in the Atlanta Preservation Society and the Atlanta Junior League and was a valuable member of the "Save the Fox" movement.

Upon returning to Atlanta from Pensacola, Susan, became a real estate agent in Buckhead. She was a gifted salesperson with a particular strength of representing clients when the punch lists were presented. Based upon her construction experience at Eden she had a huge advantage over contractors, listing agents and inspectors, refusing to be intimidated by demands. She was a Life Member, Atlanta Board of Realtors and the Multi-Million Dollar Sales Club. She was a Phoenix Award winner for ten consecutive years of Multi-Million Dollar Sales Club Memberships.

Susan loved roses and was known for her 100 rose bush collection in front of her home on Pensacola Bay and for her beautiful rose garden for decades in front of her home in front of the entrance gate to her beloved Capital City Club in Brookhaven. She was President of the Planters Garden Club of Atlanta.

As her 3 children grew, she was on various boards and committee participations at Pace Academy and Westminster Schools. She was a founding member of the FSU Advisory Board to the College of Arts and Sciences.

As always, Susan would say her greatest accomplishments were raising her 3 children together with teaching her many different Bible study classes. After a life changing trip to Israel, she was able to bring the pages of the Bible to life for her classes. Her Pastoral care for others in Buckhead was legendary.

Finally, Susan was a huge football fan who was Mrs. Coach Irish, wife of Chip Traynor, Head Coach of the NYO Chastain Fighting Irish 5th grade for the past 24 years. Susan attended every game and always joined with the other Irish coaches in second guessing the decisions of the Irish offensive coordinator, her husband, Chip. Susan was a mentor to many Irish moms, Susan knew the stresses of these moms with aging parents, long carpools, etc. She was a wise and loving consul for these young moms.

Susan Worley Traynor, a child of the Lord, peacefully slipped out the back door on us Sunday afternoon December 17th, 2023. She was there one moment and gone the next, so peaceful; surrounded by her family. She did not have a wrinkle in her face and, of course, she had her lipstick on. She knew where she was going!

Susan is survived by her husband, Francis M. Traynor Jr. (Chip); her daughter, Kelly Traynor Moulton (Fahz) of Pensacola, Fl and their 3 children, Christopher, Meredith and Marshall; her daughter, Katie Traynor Wickstrum (Cliff) of Atlanta and their 3 children, William, Grace and Evelyn; and her son, Francis M. Traynor IIl (Mamie) of Johns Creek, Ga and their 3 children, Annabelle, Chip and Jack. She is also survived by her brother, Jack Hayes Worley Jr. (Elaine) of Coral Gables and Sanibel, Fl and their 2 children, Meredith Worley Pidermann (Peter) and their son, Hayes and Diana Lee Worley of Clearwater, FI.

Susan's Celebration of Life will be held at Peachtree Presbyterian Church on Roswell Rd. in Kellett Chapel at 2:00 PM on Thursday, January 4th, 2024, immediately followed by a reception at the Capital City Club Brookhaven.

Remembrances may be sent to the incredible staff of The Mann House Sandy Springs, Ga.