Susan Elizabeth Rich

Susan Elizabeth Rich, age 68, passed away on 12/31/2022 after a long battle with cancer. She was born to Hugh and Betty Clifford in 1954. Susie spent her childhood growing up at Melba’s Dance Studio in McAllen TX where she taught her first dance class. In the late 70s she moved to Austin to begin her education at UT Austin and also began teaching at Dancers Workshop. In October 1989, she married Charles Rich, and together raised two children, David and Allison. Susie continued her joy of teaching at St. Matthews Episcopal Day School where she taught from 2001 to 2017. She also spent many hours making and organizing costumes for almost every Dancers Workshop production from the early aughts until 2012.

In 2009, she saw the need for a space for girls to learn and grow in STEM and poured all of her passion, teaching skills, and time into the Lady Cans robotics team. As she would say, “the team needed a fool to volunteer to run it and I’m that fool” and she has been the driving force behind the team ever since. In addition to her huge impact on the team, she also greatly affected the FIRST Robotics community. She was always a friendly face volunteering at FRC competitions as Pit Administration, as event Volunteer Coordinator, and as a volunteer coordinator for the state. Through her constant presence at outreach events and her Girl Scouts badge workshops, she has inspired the next generation of young women to get interested and involved with STEM. Susie greatly influenced the robotics community and brought her love of robotics to everyone around her.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Hugh and Betty, and survived by her husband Charles, her children, David and Allison, and a gaggle of siblings, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, we are asking to please consider a donation to support the team she spent so many years building. https://www.frcteam2881.com/susie-memorial.html

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.wcfishnorth.com for the Rich family.