Susan is survived by her siblings Chris Menhard (Danita Hazelhorst),
Mary Lou Garmoe (Rich Garmoe), Nancie Erhard (Mauritz Erhard), Theresa Keuss (Steve Keuss), her many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, grand-nephews, cousins, and many friends and extended family, including her loving caregivers that made such a difference in her life as a quadriplegic, Patsy French, Sherry Peppers, Rosie Barrick, and Kelly Grigaitis.
The family is extremely grateful for their amazing care of Susan, as their support and skills allowed Susan to live a life doing what mattered to her – helping others. The family is also grateful to Laura Hazelhorst who helped care for Susan during the early months of transition after her accident.
Susan led an extraordinary life and was a true example of living a life for others, despite her own personal struggles with anorexia. She earned her Master of Social Work Degree from Washington University in 1987 and dedicated her career to helping countless families through her work at Grace Hill and The Salvation Army.
Susan also loved the trampoline and earned the title of National Champion in the Masters Division in 1999. She performed with such beauty and grace, and it was an activity that gave her much joy. Upon receiving her national title, she was quoted as saying “It is cool flying through the air.”
She suffered an injury in 2002 that left her a quadriplegic, but because of the remarkable individual she was, she did not let her disability deter her. Instead, she continued to live her life for others by working at the Starkloff Foundation where she was the program director of the Next Big Step program, a project that created partnerships with large companies to help train and hire individuals with disabilities. In fact, the city of St Louis dedicated December 19, 2023, as “Susan Menhard Day” in recognition of her accomplishments.
Susan always had a deep love for animals and her spirit will now be with her beloved “pack,” Sheeba, Cowboy, Condor, Simba and Nala. Susan was also known to be the favorite aunt of the family and when her nieces and nephews were small, they would all clamor to try and sit next to Susan at family gatherings which speaks volumes about who she was.
Susan loved her family, her extended family and her chosen family with all her heart and she was an inspiration to those around her. She will be sorely missed, but her spirit and impact will remain with us always.
Susan’s celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at Hoffmeister South County Chapel in Lemay, MO (1515 Lemay Ferry Road, St Louis, MO 63125). Visitation will be held from 10:00-11:00 am with the service to follow at 11:00am.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Starkloff Disability Institute at https://starkloff.org/donate/ , Stray Rescue at https://www.strayrescue.org/donate ,
or NEDA at https://donations.nationaleatingdisorders.org/give/530857/#!/donation/checkout
